ND's Morrill finds year of watching, learning is paying off

Jane Morrill will enjoy a vastly different view at this year's state softball tournament.

The Notre Dame junior only saw limited action as a sub in the Class 3 third-place game during last year's trip to the final four.

This year she will be in the starting lineup when the Bulldogs take the field Friday for their Class 3 semifinal against Kirksville at 1:30 p.m. in St. Joseph.

"It's exciting and it's like, 'Wow,'" she said. "It's good. I like it. It's not much pressure, but it's exciting for me. I learned so much watching. I guess it helped me prepare."

Morrill blossomed into a stalwart in Notre Dame's lineup as the shortstop and No. 3 batter. Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said Morrill's development has been a combination of factors, including the basketball season and playing for the SEMO Magic traveling team over the summer.

"She was real close last year," he said. "She started the year for us at shortstop. She just wasn't quite ready yet. I think the big thing that probably helped her emerge was that she became a starter in basketball. She had a great year and ended up being a leader for them on that team. She realized how good of an athlete she really is. She had a tremendous summer playing with the Magic."

Morrill's successful summer carried over to the fall high school season. Her comfort level improved over the summer, and now she's ready to do whatever's needed at the state tournament.

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.com Notre Dame's Jane Morrill throws to first in a game against Kelly at Notre Dame.

"It's the exact same team from the summer," she said. "I got used to that feeling. Now it's not as much pressure."

Morrill's bat has been a welcomed addition to the lineup. She knocked in a team-high 31 runs and pounded three triples and two homers through the team's district title game. She also sported a .429 batting average.

"She's just got a good line-drive swing," Graviett said. "She gets her hands extended and she adds a lot of power to it with her frame. But when she's swinging it well, she hits it as hard as anybody. You add that power in there when she gets her arms extended. Her in the middle of the order, we expect her to drive in runs and that's what she's done for us all year long."

With Erika Reinagel and Paris Burger getting on base so often at the top of the lineup, Morrill often comes to the plate with runners on base. She admits to feeling a little pressure to deliver when Reinagel and Burger reach base.

"If they get on for sure, I know I have to do something," Morrill said. "I do look for a pitch because I know I don't want to pop up. Whatever I have to do to move them, that's what I think about. Mainly it's hitting the ball on the ground."

Morrill credits her coaches for helping her develop as a hitter. But she admits she spends more time working on her defense.

At 5 foot 11, Morrill doesn't look like a typical shortstop. That is until a ball is hit her way. She fields gracefully and fires a rocket to first base with ease. In fact, Graviett uses Morrill as the cutoff player to field a throw from an outfielder and unleash a throw to the plate to gun down an eager baserunner.

"You can't coach size and she's already a couple times saved balls that were going to get into the outfield because of her size," Graviett said. "She has soft hands, she's got a great arm, very agile for a tall girl. You talk to some coaches and they're pretty amazed that you have that type of height at shortstop. But it's not her height. She has the athleticism to go with that height. She's just a tremendous athlete."

Morrill might be better known for her skills as a basketball post player, but her skills as a softball player are nearly as impressive. She averaged 15.5 points per game and blocked a school-record 87 shots on the basketball court last winter. She said basketball comes easier to her because of her height, but she's been playing softball longer.

With the softball team earning another trip to the state final four, there won't be much time off between softball and basketball. But that's the way she likes it.

"I'm always doing something," she said.

She isn't worried about basketball yet. She's focused on implementing the lessons she learned watching at last year's final four.

"I feel comfortable," she said. "There's really no pressure. I know I can do it."