Friday was a big day for the Lake High School softball program.
The Lady Hornets had two players sign to play softball in college.
Lake’s Taylor Duncan signed to play at Southeastern Louisiana as a utility player while Laurel Breland signed with Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
“I’m extremely proud of both of them to be able to play at the next level,” Lake coach Jake Loper said. “It shows that if you are talented and can play, the colleges will find you. We’ve got one going to a Division I program and another to one of the top junior college programs in the state. We’ve got committed in our junior class and a tenth grader that has offers so the future looks bright for the Lake softball program.”
Duncan is the first Lake softball player to sign a Division I scholarship and will be a utility player for Southeastern. For the Lady Hornets, Duncan pitches and plays shortstop. But Loper, who also coaches Duncan on his Mississippi Elite team, says he thinks she will get on the field early for Southeastern.
Duncan was an all-district and all-state selection for the Lady Hornets and was selected to the Clarion Ledger’s All-State slow-pitch team after leading the Lady Hornets to the 2019 slow-pitch state championship, the first in school history.
“At that level, I see her catching and will have a chance to go catch pretty year,” Loper said. “Generally speaking, the better pitching she sees, the better she hits it. I think her bat will find her a way on the field. She can play multiple positions. I can see her helping them in the outfield or in the infield. She plays all over the field for me in the Elite organization. I would love for her to catch at Lake for me but with her pitching, you don’t want to strain her body that much.”
Also signing is Breland, who was also an all-district and all-state selection for the Lady Hornets.
“I think Laurel will be a utility player as well,” Loper said. “I kind of see her playing second or third on that level. She is also capable of catching as well and is a capable outfielder. She is capable of playing multiple positions. She does a good job wherever she plays at.”
Both Duncan and Breland were selected to the Class 1A-3A All-Star teams as juniors.
