CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Austin Peay athletes have been making waves in the collegiate circuit and are now bringing those talents to the major leagues. Baseball players Greg Leban and Parker Phillips were recently drafted into the MLB. Another Governor, shining from a different diamond, has made a name for herself too. Pitcher Morgan Rackel recently signed a contract to play professional softball and is off to a strong start.

While at Austin Peay, Morgan Rackel received numerous awards and accolades. She was named the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America First Team, All-OVC, and named to Softball America’s Top 100.

Rackel, a native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, recently signed with the National Pro Fastpitch League’s Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois.

“Austin Peay gave me the opportunity to perform at the Division I level. I had trouble getting recruited out of high school being from Canada and went the junior college route at Weatherford College,” Rackel said. “I can’t thank the community at Austin Peay enough for all their love and support every step of the way.”

The transfer from Weatherford College not only had a stellar career as a Governor softball player, but she was arguably even stronger in the classroom. Making the Google Cloud Academic All-America team, she was one of 21 players selected to have a 4.0 grade-point average and did so while majoring in Chemistry.

On the field, she finished her 2019 senior season with a record of 21-9, a 1.93 ERA, as well as an OVC best 242 strikeouts. Unfortunately, the outstanding 1.93 ERA raised her career average to a 1.68. Not just a threat on the mound, she drove in 38 runs, had nine home runs and ten doubles. The chemistry major also finished with a .530 Slugging Percentage.

After wrapping up a stellar season, Rackel became the first player in Austin Peay program history to sign a professional softball contract. She is also just the second player to do so from the OVC in the past 11 years.

The Canadian Wild, based out of Marion, Illinois, are in their first year of the NPF. The Wild signed a 2-year deal with the league after the Olympic Committee announced softball and baseball would be returning to the Olympics in 2020. They chose to compete in the NPF to prepare for the 2020 Olympic games and give them an opportunity to compete against the best softball players in the world.

The players for the Wild are exclusively chosen by Softball Canada, and by being with the Wild, Rackel is now on Team Canada as well. “I’ve always dreamed of being on Team Canada. To represent your country is the highest honor any athlete can have.” Rackel said. The team for the 2020 Olympic games will be made up of 15 players, and currently the Wild have a 23-man roster.

Rackel has not just signed with a professional team, but both her and her team are off to a hot start. The Wild have won 10 of their first 12 games and sit in first place overall. In her rookie season, through 7.2 innings pitched, Rackel is leading the league with a 0.28 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched), she has posted a 0.91 ERA, 11 strikeouts, no walks, and allowed just two hits.

The Wild’s season will run through early August, after that Rackel will continue training with Team Canada, and hopes to make the 15-man roster to compete in both the Lima Pan American Games, as well as the Olympic Qualifying.

Just like anyone who has competed athletically, one of Rackel’s biggest dreams has been to play professionally, and very simply put, Rackel said “I’ve accomplished my biggest dream and it’s so surreal.”