Ruston's Morgan Foster commits to play softball at McNeese

Ruston High junior Morgan Foster will continue her softball playing career at Mc-Neese State University after verbally committing to the school on social media.

Foster, the starting catcher for the Ruston softball team, announced her commitment to the Cowgirls after attending multiple camps during the summer and keeping in contact with McNeese staffers. And while she has two more years as a Bearcat, Foster expressed excitement for making a dream come true and getting the recruitment process out of the way early.

“Knowing I’ll be playing college softball feels like a dream come true,” Foster said. “It’s been my goal for a while now and it feels so good to see all the time and hard work pay off. I’m excited and honored to get to play at that level of competition along with so many other talented athletes.

“It’s nice to have my college decision made early but the hard work it took to be where I’m at won’t stop. I need to be prepared at the next level. I’ll be focusing on continuing to improve my skills and mental game, being competitive, getting stronger and faster and making sure I’m succeeding academically.”

Foster hit for a .404 average with a .529 on base percentage last season with 3 triples and 4 RBIs, earning Offensive Player of the Year for the Bearcats and a second team All-District utility selection for her play in District 2-5A.

McNeese contacted Foster multiple times throughout the summer and invited her to camps, eventually extending an official offer.

The Cowgirls went 47-16 last season and finished three outs away from making the program’s first ever NCAA Super Regional appearance before losing to No. 7 Washington. McNeese has made an NCAA Regional six of the last seven seasons, and their last season under .500 was 2008.

Lauren Garvie, entering her second season as head coach of the Ruston softball team, said Foster’s work ethic allowed her to make the commitment early and have that peace of mind going forward.

“Morgan Foster carries a presence when she walks on the field, opposing coaches often make it a point to ask about her,” Garvie said. “We keep saying that in our program we want to build a family and everything we do is with that mindset and, my gosh, is the Ruston High School softball program proud of what she has accomplished with committing to McNeese.”