Senior Jordyn Amos manned the leadoff position for the Columbia softball team this spring, but her final numbers didn't read like those of a typical leadoff hitter.
Amos finished her final season for Columbia with a .509 average, five home runs, 13 doubles, seven stolen bases, 45 runs scored and 31 driven in. There was a lot of pop in Amos' bat, meaning that when the bottom of the order got on base, she was more than capable of driving them in.
When the 2011 prep softball season ended, Amos was recognized for her outstanding campaign by being named to the Illinois Coaches Association Class 2A All-State team.
"When I found out that I made it, I was extremely happy," Amos said. "I felt that all the work that I had put in actually paid off in making me the best player I could be. I felt great about it. I was just very happy."
Amos' career trajectory continues to rise, with a scholarship to Murray State University in hand. Amos will head for the Kentucky school this fall.
But for Amos, the journey to Murray State started a long time ago, and it was typical of her go-get-‘em attitude, as well as the technology of her era.
"I did my skills video with my summer team last year and started sending them out," Amos said. "I sent it to Murray State along with an e-mail presenting myself to them, trying to get some interest generated in them to come see me play.
"We were in contact quite a few times and they came and watched me and liked what they saw. They set me up for a visit."
Amos felt right at home the moment she got to the school for her visit.
"I loved the campus," Amos said. "I absolutely loved the girls on the team and knew I wanted to play there. They made an offer and it didn't take me long to realize that that's what I wanted."
Amos emphasized how critical it was to her decision that she felt a camaraderie with her future teammates at Murray State. So much of the success in softball can be traced back to a team's emotional stability, at any level, and Murray State will be no different.
"It is actually very important," Amos said. "Going into something new can be hard, thinking what the girls are going to be like. If you didn't go in and get to meet them and talk to them before and see how they are, it would be confusing. You wouldn't know if you would fit in or not, but I met them and loved them.
"I knew I would fit in very well and I knew that as soon as I met them. It is a great group of girls."
Amos was a rock at third base for the Eagles throughout her high school career. With a slick glove and a rocket arm, as well as a quick jump to track down bunts and overall athleticism, there weren't many of the neon grapefruits that got through Columbia's hot corner.
But college softball isn't Christmas morning and Amos isn't expecting to be gifted a spot on the left side of the Murray State infield. She is taking nothing for granted.
"It is kind of hard to say because everything is up for grabs," Amos said. "I would like to play third base, but I know I have to work my butt off to get where I want to be. It won't just be given to me, I have to work for it and I am going to do that."
As she did throughout her time at Columbia, Amos is working overtime this summer to perfect her game. She has her biggest fan pitching to her in the cage and has embarked on a Rocky-type workout as she prepares for life out east.
"I am working on hitting with my dad (Jeff)," Amos said. "I have my summer workout plan that I have been doing, so I have been getting in shape to make sure that, as a softball player, I am very prepared for what it is going to be like down there.
"I think this workout is going to help me a lot. It is a 10-week program where I do running three times a week and lifting four times a week."
Amos also has to prepare for the change in environment in the classroom, away from her hometown and the way she has always done things. She will go into the nursing program at Murray State and knows there will be challenges ahead.
"I think I will do very well once I get out and move," Amos said. "My mentality is going to have to totally change for school and I am going to have to be completely committed.
"It is going to be hard, but I am going to work extremely hard to get the degree I want. I want the best I can for myself."
Like the rest of the Eagles that comprised the Class of 2011, Amos matured over the years, shedding the shackles of teenage melodrama and off-field nonsense to focus on the task at hand. Columbia finished with a record of 25-6 and a regional championship, as well as the title at the Pinckneyville Tournament.
Amos is living proof that hard work and dedication can lead straight to greatness.
"I felt that I definitely became a leader along with the other seniors," Amos said. "We really took a hold of the team and made sure that there was no drama, but when there was, we made sure we put it to an end as soon as it came up.
"We made sure that we put all our hard work into the games and we had fun while we did it. I think that is part of the reason we went as far as we did. We stayed together as a team and didn't let anything get us down. The girls were relaxed and there was no pressure. We just wanted to play as a team and be the best we could be."
