Casey signs letter to play softball for Three Rivers

The Three Rivers College softball team will add a hometown athlete to their roster next season.

Poplar Bluff’s Adrianne Casey signed her national letter of intent Wednesday to continue her athletic and academic career with the Lady Raiders.

Through hard work and dedication, Casey has been granted the opportunity to showcase her talents to the next level.

“I’m really fortunate to have all of my family and friends come out to support me,” Casey said. “I think I’ve had a really good support system growing up, and it’s built me to be the athlete I am today.”

During her final season as a member of the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules softball team, Casey recorded 38 hits with a .469 batting average, 19 RBIs and nine stolen bases.

As a multi-athlete, Casey has displayed solid athleticism in basketball and track, but neither compared to her love for softball.

“I’ve always had softball close to my head, and there’s always been a connection to it since my younger days of playing,” Casey said. “During my last high school game, I realized that I wasn’t ready to step away yet.”

Casey said she’s excited and thinks it’s important to keep her work ethic and heart out there on the field and maintain her values and keep working hard as she prepares for college softball.

Poplar Bluff head coach Aaron Duncan said it’s a good accomplishment to have a member of the team play at the next level and is excited to see Casey’s growth as she moves on.

“Casey is one of those players that would pick up equipment through all the little things before and after practice to take care of things,” Duncan said. “She’s just a great example for younger players and was a joy to coach.

“Three Rivers has played some high-level ball for the past few years since the arrival of Coach Null, and he has produced some really great players. I think Casey will adapt really well to the environment. I think she’ll enjoy the chemistry of that team and just the competitiveness of that team because she’s very competitive.”

Besides staying close to home to be around her family, Casey said she liked how hard the Lady Raiders worked and how everyone pushed themselves to get better. She hopes she can be an asset to them when she arrives.

“My main goal is to be a memorable athlete,” she said. “I want to be someone that stands out and who can always be remembered as someone that works hard and lifts everybody up.”

Casey said she will miss the fun time and how everybody could come together as a team. She said playing at Poplar Bluff taught her the importance of everybody being united and how that can help you achieve success.