Lady Pirates sign a Royal gem

Becca Calloway is ready for the next level when it comes to softball and on Wednesday she got her chance.

The Lady Royal senior, who is ready to start her fifth year behind the plate at Jay, signed a softball scholarship to Pensacola State College.

For Calloway this is an opportunity she has been waiting for.

“I was a little nervous at first because this is such a big step for me,” said Calloway about her tryout with the Lady Pirates. “Once the tryout started I calmed down and everything came naturally to me.

“But this is a big step when you look at the competition level and as well as moving out.”

Despite the nerves she might be experiencing, she is relieved to have this behind her to focus on another season behind the plate for Jay, who has become a small school powerhouse on the diamond that has notched recent wins over the likes of Pace and Milton.

“I plan on going out and doing my best every game,” said Calloway who was offered a tryout at the University of West Florida and a scholarship at Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton, Ala. “But it will be nice not having to worry so I can just go out and play ball.”

Playing ball is what sets Calloway apart from many others in the Panhandle despite being at a program that is not on the radar of some colleges yet.

“We are very excited that Becca is going to be a Pirate next year,” said Pena. “The biggest thing for us is to have her in the line-up, which will always be good.

“She is a strong student and athlete as well, there is not much more than you can ask as a coach beside the fact she is a good kid.”

The biggest factor many talked about besides Calloway’s abilities behind the plate catching and at the plate with a bat is her character.

“This is a big day in the Calloway family,” said Jay principal Brad Marcilliat. “Becca is a good egg and a first class Royal that participates in multiple sports here at the school.

“She has set a standard here at Jay and we are proud to recognize her accomplishments and the future ahead of her at Pensacola State College.”

Calloway is at times like an unpaid coach when it comes to softball.

“Becca knows me and how I like to call a softball game,” said Jay head coach Brian Watson. “She knows the strength of the hitters and there are times when she corrects me when I make the wrong call from the bench.

“I have been blessed to have only two catchers in the eight years I have coached at Jay, so I don’t know what I am going to do next year.”

Calloway five years ago replaced another softball standout behind the plate in Jessi Johnson, who graduated and played volleyball at Jefferson Davis Community College.

Last season the Lady Pirates just missed the state tournament and play in the demanding Panhandle Conference of the Florida Community College Athletic Association.