Starkville Academy’s Mary Austin Barber Signs with Belhaven

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) —One Lady Volunteer is trading in her blue and orange for a different color set upon graduation.

Mary Austin Barber signing on to play for the Belhaven Blazer softball team.

Starkville Academy softball player Mary Austin Barber signed with Belhaven College in Jackson on Friday. The senior put up impressive stats during her summer season for the Mississippi Blast: a .496 batting average with 13 extra base hits to go along with 34 RBI’s.

For her play over the past two years, Barber has added numerous accolades including Best Defensive Player and All Conference Honorable Mention the past two seasons, and All Conference this past season.

Barber is currently one of fifteen senior fast-pitch players to watch in the state on the High School Sports in Mississippi website.

“Belhaven is the winningest softball program in Mississippi and has finished #3 and #5 in the nation two of the past three years.  I think that Mary Austin will have a chance to come into our program and compete for playing time immediately,” said Belhaven softball coach Kevin Griffin.

“She has played at a high level with her travel team during the summer and there is no doubt that she has the ability to excel at the collegiate level.  I look forward to having her on campus next fall and I hope tonight’s ceremony is very memorable for her.”