Mississippi College lands two of South Mississippi's best
Mississippi College had a successful day on the Coast on Monday, signing two of South Mississippi's premier softball talents.
Harrison Central standout Madison Burge signed in the softball fieldhouse Monday morning. Later in the day, St. Patrick shortstop Emma Rae Castanedo signed with the Choctaws during a ceremony at her school.
Burge, the reigning Sun Herald Player of the Year, is coming off of a successful junior campaign in which she helped lead the Red Rebelettes to a second straight Class 6A championship. She posted a 22-4 record in the circle, with a 0.90 ERA and 205 strikeouts. She also has stepped up as a first baseman, hitting .299 with seven extra-base hits and 24 RBIs.
"Today my dream is coming true," Burge said before her signing ceremony. "I knew that I wanted to play softball but I also wanted to get a good education and I like the Christian atmosphere at MC. It's not a big university, it's just exactly what I wanted."
The Choctaws look at Burge as a potential starter.
"When she steps into the circle, the kids believe in her," Parker said. "She has movement, but she can really rear back and throw it. She has excellent location. She can go inside, outside, up and down. She throws it where we call it and does a real good job at it.
"She has a real nasty curveball and a riseball. She's still developing a changeup, but the fastball, riseball and curve are her babies right there."
Castanedo
After committing prior to her junior year, Castanedo watched as her older teammates signed and went off to play college ball. Now, it's her turn.
"This is the day I've been waiting for," she said prior to Monday night's ceremony. "Everyone talked about how you know when you step on campus. I thought there's no way you just know, but I felt like I was home (at Mississippi College). I felt like I was walking around St. Patrick. I'm so excited."
Castanedo, a member of the Sun Herald's 2015 All-South Mississippi softball team is one of the more feared hitters on the Coast and shows five-tool potential. A three-time Class 3A state champion, Castanedo was among South Mississippi's leaders as a junior last season in batting average (.507), homers (7), extra-base hits (18), RBIs (41) and stolen bases (10).
Her versatility will lend itself to the college game, where she could end up playing any number of positions, including shortstop, second base, third base or in the outfield.
Tommy Castanedo, Emma's father and coach at St. Patrick, pointed to his daughter's determination as the main reason she has risen to the top.
"She's a great leader on our ball club. She leads from behind and pushes everybody," he said. "She's not going to be out front and she's not going to drag people, she's going to push people."
Prior to Monday's ceremony, Tommy Castanedo proudly flashed a photo of his daughter and Burge playing together on a coach pitch team nearly 10 years ago.
Now, the two will be college roommates.
"I knew I wanted to go to a small school, but not too small of a school; I wanted it to be close to home, but not too close; and I wanted it to be a community," Emma said. "Madison going there with me makes it that community."
About MC
Mississippi College is in the midst of a three-year process to transfer back to Division II. The Chocktaws are now considered provisional members of the Gulf South Conference and will become full members beginning in the fall of 2016.
The Sun Herald will update this report.
This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Mississippi College lands two of South Mississippi's best ."