After the 2017 softball season, App State went through a head coaching change, bringing in Shelly Hoerner along with a group of freshman players looking to turn the program around after a 14-34 season.
One of those freshmen was catcher Baylee Morton, a Monroe, N.C. native who was coming to win. From the beginning of her career, she developed a connection with Hoerner and made an immediate impact on the program as a defensive anchor and leader.
“Coach Hoerner, she was actually a catcher too,” Morton said. “We can talk through different things, and (work in bullpens together) when getting to know all my pitchers.