Walls signs with Simpson

MT. PLEASANT - Mt. Pleasant senior Savana Walls will be part of the Storm next softball season. The Simpson College Storm that is.

Walls signed her letter of intent to attend and play softball for Simpson College on Thursday at the Mt. Pleasant Media Center, surrounded by family, friends and coaches.

“I just knew Simpson was for me at the visit,” Walls said. “It just felt like home, and I could tell they really cared about their players.”

Walls was the leading hitter on Mt. Pleasant’s team last season, hitting .397. She collected a team-high 22 singles and tied for second on the squad with five doubles.

Walls played shortstop for an extremely young Panther team in 2021. It was her first year being the primary shortstop for Mt. Pleasant high school.

“That was a good experience,” Walls said. “Moving to shortstop really helped me develop.”

Mike Beason was a first-year head coach for Mt. Pleasant in 2021. He says Walls’ work in the field is a big reason she’s a next-level player.

“She’s a really excellent infielder,” Beason said. “I think she could play just about anywhere she wanted to.”

She joins a Simpson College team that went 16-18 games last season. She plans on majoring in exercise science.

Mt. Pleasant had a tough year, collecting just one win on the season in 2021. The team graduated just two seniors from that squad.

“I've been thinking about it a lot,” Walls said. “I'm trying to push everybody, especially the younger kids and myself, to just get better this year. I think we have a shot to be a lot better.”

The Mt. Pleasant softball season will kick off in May.