CLARKSVILLE, TN – Two Clarksville High seniors recently signed letters of intent to play softball at the collegiate level. Emberly Nichols and Breanna Snyder had their signing ceremony in the Clarksville High School Cafeteria on Monday, Nov. 15.
“Whenever we get a chance to come in here, and bring athletes, family, coaches, and friends here, we know it’s a big deal. Clarksville High has a tradition of having the best athletes, the best teams, and the best pipeline to the collegiate level. Today, we tack on another day, and add two more athletes to the tradition,” said CHS Head Softball Coach Brian Rush.
Emberly Nichols has signed to play at Austin Peay State University. According to Rush, Emberly has known since last spring where she was going to sign to play college softball and further her education – it was always going to be Austin Peay.
“Emberly is here because she was committed to the goal. Because of this, Emberly has had a lot of success over the years. A lot of wins in some big games in towns hundreds of miles from here. She has made quite a career here in her hometown as well. She helped her middle school team to three championships, her high school team to two district championships as well as several tournament championships,” said Rush.
“We have our own version of the big bang theory at CHS. In Emberly’s first start on the mound at CHS, she threw a no-hitter, striking out 11. At the plate the big bang was a grand-slam homerun. Her defense and offense were just a preview of things to come. Last year, Emberly went 12-1 with 89 strikeouts. At the plate, she hit three homeruns, had 34 RBI and batted .413. That was enough for Austin Peay to know they wanted her.”
Senior Breanna Synder has signed to play at Dyersburg State. She began her softball journey in Georgia. It is there where the game was first introduced to her and where she developed a passion for the sport. She moved to Tennessee in the summer of 2017, and spent her first three years of high school ball playing for Northwest.
“While at Northwest, she was a dominant force for her team, leading them in several offensive categories. She competed with everything she had on the field and was recognized with multiple post season awards,” said Rush.
“As the recruiting process heated up in the summer and fall, there was one school that made an impression above the others. The relationships that were formed with the Dyersburg coaches and players played a large part in Breanna’s decision. By signing with Dyersburg State, Breanna will join two former Lady Wildcats in Maddie Berner and Arie Milam who are there now.”