Marshall University Athletics
Zerkle Drafted by the Scrap Yard Dawgs of the NPF
4/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Marshall softball senior Morgan Zerkle was drafted by the Scrap Yard Dawgs of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) with the 26th overall selection Monday night. The NPF held its annual draft from Nashville.
The Milton, W.Va., native will be playing for two teams this summer, as she is also a member of the 2017 USA Women's National Team.
"It is really exciting," Zerkle said after the selection. "It is something that I have always wanted to do since I was little, so it is great to check that off as something that I have accomplished.
"It is as far as you can go in softball so it is exciting that I have achieved that and it will be fun going from Team USA to pro. It is going to be a fun summer of softball."
Zerkle joins Melissa Frost (1994-97), Randi Nielson (2002-05), Amanda Williams (2003-06), Jessica Williams (2003-06), Noelle Adams (2003-06), Rachel Folden (2005-08) and Andi Williamson (2011-13) as Marshall players that have suited up for the NPF.
"Zerkle is one of nine current collegiate players to be selected to Team USA," Herd coach Shonda Stanton said. "And now, she is one of 26 seniors to be honored by being drafted to the NPF. It is a great moment for Zerkle and Herd Softball and it was nice for our team to be able to share this memory with her."
The team got together at Fat Patty's near the Marshall campus to watch the draft. The room filled with yells, screams and cheers of "We Are Marshall" when the selection was made.
The 2017 season has been one of the best in program history with an overall record of 35-7, 15-3 in Conference USA. The team's most recent RPI ranking is 25th (April 24) in the country. Zerkle has been a major part of that success.
Zerkle has been enjoying an incredible senior campaign as she leads Marshall with a .476 average. She has collected 59 hits, 38 runs, 10 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 35 RBIs and 35 stolen bases. This season, she became the Herd's all-time leader in stolen bases (158) and triples (13). Zerkle tied the single-season record with five triples, set back in 2004 by NPF alum Amanda Williams.
She has been honored this season as a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award and has been named Conference USA Player of the Week twice. Zerkle currently ranks sixth in the country in stolen bases per game (.90) for a Herd team that leads the nation with 3.31 steals per game. The Herd has six games remaining in the regular season with three-game series against Middle Tennessee State (April 29-30) and at home versus UAB (May 5-6).
"It will be another great journey and I am excited that softball doesn't end," Zerkle said.
---HerdZone.com---
