East Mississippi softball all-staters Marissa Landrum and Emily Patrick commit to four-year schools

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College all-state softball standouts Marissa Landrum and Emily Patrick have become the latest Lion players to declare their post-EMCC destinations.  Landrum will continue her collegiate career at the University of South Alabama, while Patrick has committed to attend Blue Mountain College.

Landrum and Patrick will join fellow recent EMCC graduates Valiree Blair (Belhaven University), Chandler Ellis (Mississippi Valley State University) and Zoie LaVergne (Shorter University) at the four-year level during the upcoming academic year.  The quintet collectively helped lead head coach Kyndall White's 19-23 EMCC Lions to a 14-14 MACJC record this past year, including a seventh postseason appearance in the last eight years.

"We are very proud of these talented sophomores who will be able to continue their education and softball careers at the next level," EMCC's Coach White said.  "They will pave the way for future EMCC Lions and we wish them all much success in their future endeavors." 

A product of D'Iberville High School, Landrum led EMCC with her .385 batting average this past season along with three home runs, six doubles and 22 runs batted in as an MACJC All-State performer.  The Lions' two-year starting third baseman posted a .353 career batting average with 35 RBIs and 39 runs scored.

Also a two-year starter and fellow 2016 MACJC All-State selection for East Mississippi, Patrick hit .331 as a sophomore in driving home a team-leading 28 runs.  The Senatobia native batted .303 during her EMCC career while being mostly used as a designated player and back-up catcher.

EMCC's sophomore pitching trio of Blair, Ellis and LaVergne combined for 14 of the Lions' 19 victories this past season.  Blair, from Richland, led the way with six wins this year and eight for her career.  LaVergne, out of Rayne, La., and a transfer from Meridian Community College, was 5-5 in the circle this spring with a team-best 3.14 earned run average.  Vicksburg's Ellis posted a 5-7 career pitching record with the Lions.