Even after years of playing softball, Cara Hopper knew she was going to have to make an adjustment when she started her college career at Itawamba Community College in Fulton.
Little did the former Caledonia High School standout realize how big a change she was going to face. After spending most of her youth and prep career as a pitcher, Hopper went to ICC expecting to play a key role as a starting pitcher for the Lady Indians.
But plans changed and Hopper found herself moving into the role of a relief pitcher, or closer, who comes into games in tight situations or late in the game to get a save or to work her team out of trouble. In addition, Hopper’s success at the plate helped her carve out a role as an outfielder.
Hopper admits the changes took time to adjust to, but looking back she feels they helped her get a chance to continue her softball career at a four-year school.
On Wednesday, Hopper signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball at Blue Mountain College, a NAIA school in Blue Mountain, which is near Holly Springs.
“I have always dreamed about playing college ball,” Hopper said. “I looked up to them. I am really glad I can be that for somebody else. I am glad I can do that for another child like I looked up to all of the people before me. I am really thankful for the opportunity because I know not a lot of people get an opportunity to do that.”
Joining Hopper on Wednesday was ICC sophomore Haley Moore, of Booneville, who signed a NLI to play softball at Mississippi College in Clinton.
Hopper and Moore helped the Lady Indians win 69 games and two Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College (MACJC) North Division Championships in their two years at ICC.
This past season, Hopper hit .282 with 14 RBIs in 37 games. She also was 4-4 with three saves and a 1.14 ERA (46 strikeouts). The program’s all-time saves leader earned MACJC All-North Division honorable mention honors last season.
“I feel like I improved a lot,” Hopper said. “It took a lot of hard work. I was basically starting from the ground up. It was a lot of practice. I had a lot of mental stuff I had to work out. I felt (playing in the outfield and being the team’s closer) kind of grew on me a little bit. I never pictured myself as an outfielder. It didn’t come easy, but I definitely enjoyed it. I am glad I got the opportunity to do it. It made me really appreciate it.”
Hopper feels her experience as a pitcher helped her make the transition to playing in the outfield. She said she grew so accustomed to having all of the responsibility on her shoulders when she was in the circle. She said she learned how to trust her teammates to make the plays behind, which helped her become a better pitcher. As an outfielder, Hopper said she realized she needed to work just as hard to support her pitcher because she and her other teammates on defense were being counted on to do their jobs.
“There are a lot of people on the field who don’t understand that pressure in the circle,” Hopper said. “Me being able to understand that pressure in the circle made it that much more important to make the plays and get the hits and put the runs up on the board and play tight defense for them.”
Hopper anticipates playing a bigger role in the circle at Blue Mountain. She will do it for a new coach, Tyler Herring, who replaces Kevin Barefield.
Last month, Herring was named to replace Barefield as the school’s softball coach. Herring spent the past four years as a coach at Williams Baptist College, an NAIA school in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Herring, an all-conference center fielder during his college baseball days at WBC, was interim head coach this season and guided WBC to a 27-18 record, 13-11 in the American Midwest Conference.
Barefield will become Blue Mountain’s golf coach. Danny McKenzie, the current golf coach, is retiring this month.
Hopper said Barefield started to recruit her in March. She said she went to the campus and enjoyed how it looked and the size of the school. She said she wondered if Blue Mountain still was the place for her after Barefield stepped away from the softball program, but she said she met Herring and believes he is going to be a great fit.
Hopper hopes she can make a smooth transition, too. She said making the transition to two new positions and roles at ICC helped her confidence and showed her she can make things work with hard work. She plans to use a similar approach at Blue Mountain College.
“It is going to be a lot more challenging,” Hopper said. “They are going to have better competition and it is going to be a different atmosphere than at ICC. I think I am really going to have to step it up and be more consistent and have a different work ethic. I think it is going to be a challenge, but I think I need to step up to the plate and do it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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