By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — Ruston High seniors David Griep and Jake Simmons have both signed to play collegiate baseball while senior Morgan Foster will be heading southwest to play college softball after signing for their respective schools in a ceremony held on Wednesday.
“It’s great for these students to use their athletic ability to move on and work on their academic careers,” Ruston High athletic director Jerrod Baugh said. “It’s special for them and their families. It says a lot about how they were raised and a lot about Ruston High’s teachers and administration that have prepared them to move on.”
“Every one of these people up here today have the same thing in common: they grind, they work, and they’ve all been through some sort of adversity whether injury, a set back, or something personal,” Ruston High head baseball coach Bryan Beck said of all the athletes that signed Wednesday. “They continued to grind no matter what, no matter who the coach was, and no matter what the sport is. That’s why we’re up here today. They are leaders in each of their sports, and it’s very exciting for them to be able to go to the next level.
“To the parents, I know you’ve been through a lot of sacrifice, time and money, as have our student-athletes. I’m very proud of them all.”
David Griep will play for South Arkansas College in El Dorado, Ark., after lettering four years for the Bearcats on the mound. Griep pitched out of the bullpen in his freshman year and is expected to be the number one arm on the mound this season.
A multi-year all-district player, Griep pitched 24.2 innings last season with a 3.40 ERA after starting six games. His most impressive performance last year was his 6.2 innings pitched in a Ruston victory over West Monroe.
Griep said he chose South Arkansas because of his experience with the coaches during the recruiting process and he will study business.
“I love the coaching staff,” Griep said of South Arkansas. “I love the people, and I really liked what I saw when I went over there.”
Jake Simmons chose East Central Community College in Decatur, Miss., and is expected to be one of the biggest bats for the Bearcats this year. Simmons also has earned multiple all-district honors and will be a top defender for Ruston after recovering from an injury last year. In two season in the outfield, Simmons has only committed one error.
“When I took my visit, it really felt right when I went there,” Simmons said. “Sometimes, you just go to a place and realized that it’s for you. There was something different about the culture — they have a winning culture, and they value a lot of the stuff that I value.”
Simmons said that he has not committed to a specific course of study; however, he added that he’s leaning toward being a physical therapist one day.
Previously reported by the Lincoln Parish Journal, Foster will play collegiately for McNeese State University as part of the Cowgirls softball squad that signed six players in the early signing period.
“The most important thing for me when I chose McNeese was the fact it felt like home,” Foster said, noting she will study kinesiology. “I was able to make free conversation and just be myself around people I’ve never met before.”
Last season, Foster’s efforts saw her hitting .430 on the year with three home runs and a team-leading 12 stolen bases along with eight extra-base hits. She was also a first-team All-District 2-5A selection and was named honorable mention on the All-LSWA 5A team.
“Morgan is such a huge staple for us and I couldn’t be happier for her,” Ruston High head softball coach Lauren Garvie said. “I think she is going to absolutely flourish at McNeese. I said it multiple times last year but if she wasn’t in the outfield last year some of our games would have ended very differently. This year, she will step in as the captain of our outfield and I’m excited to see her lead that, I’ve told everybody I can that I’m excited to see our outfield as a whole in action this year, and she will be a huge part of that.”
Foster, Griep and Simmons will all play for the Bearcats this spring in their respective sports.
