Unlike a lot of students looking for a school at which to continue their athletic careers, Leah Beasley’s college choice had little to do with the sport she plays.
“I decided on my college before I thought about softball,” the Covington senior said. “I went to Union (University) and I fell in love with Union. I reached out to the coach and we started communicating. She came to watch me pitch, I went to a camp and everything just kind of fell into place.”
That connection culminated Friday afternoon when Beasley signed softball scholarship papers to attend the small college in Jackson next fall.
Beasley has put together a very impressive career at Covington. She has a .419 career batting average with 72 RBIs and five home runs as a hitter. In the circle she has posted a 20-13 record with 123 strikeouts and a 3.01 earned run average.
Union recruited her primarily as a pitcher, but Covington head coach Justus Cousar believes she can be a very versatile player at the next level.
“She can do either one,” he said. “She can be a hitter, she can be a pitcher or she could possibly do both if they need her to do both.”
Cousar said she began to believe she could play in college last season.
“When I was little, I was like, ‘I’m going D-I,'” Beasley said. “The older I got the more realistic things got. Junior year was when I started really looking at colleges to see where I could shine.”
“The thing that has been so good about Leah is the amount if improvement that I’ve seen from her ninth-grade year to this point,” Cousar said. “It wasn’t just all at one time, ‘Wow, you’re good now.’ She’s gradually improved from one year to the next. If we get that same rate of improvement going into this year, we’re going to be in good shape.”
During the scholarship signing ceremony Friday, Beasley flashed her big smile for dozens of pictures. She’s known for having a jovial personality.
“I may be in one of the worst moods I’ve been in, then she shows up, says something goofy and helps me get out of that mood,” Cousar said.
“Me and Coach Cousar have such a good relationship,” Beasley said. “If he’s having a bad day I’m always the one to make him laugh and vice versa. He knows how to make me laugh and put a smile on my face.”
Beasley is third class of 2020 Covington player to sign a softball scholarship. McKenzie Richardson and Brinley Cousar signed with Dyersburg State last November.
