JUDA - Senior ace pitcher Nicki Becker of the Juda-Albany softball team signed a National Letter of Intent Wednesday to play softball at Division III Concordia University next year in Mequon.
Becker tossed three no-hitters last year and led the Panthers to the program's first ever WIAA Division 5 state championship. She's excited to continue her career at the next level in college.
"It was one of my goals when I started playing softball, I wanted to play in college and it came true," Becker said.
Juda-Albany finished 27-2 last year and captured a third-straight Six Rivers East Conference championship. Becker posted a 25-1 mark as the Panthers' pitcher last year. She had a 0.78 ERA and struck out 159, while being named all-state, all-district and first-team all-conference. Even though Becker returns as the Panthers' leading hitter from last year, .494 average with three home runs and 31 RBIs, she is signing with Concordia as a pitcher.
She is excited to have her college plans announced so she can concentrate on her senior season with the Panthers. She and Juda-Albany are looking to make a third trip to state in the past four years and are a favorite to win a fourth consecutive Six Rivers East Conference title.
"It takes a lot of pressure off of me," Becker said. "I can play loose. I know I'm going somewhere and playing somewhere. I can go have fun and do my best."
She will become the third player from Juda-Albany playing in college next year, joining Jessica Crull (University of Wisconsin-Parkside) and Danielle Dieckhoff (UW-Platteville). Both Crull and Dieckhoff are 2016 Juda High School graduates. Juda alumnas Molly Marass also played softball at Concordia, but had to stop playing due to a knee injury. Monroe alumnas Carly Upmann is also on the softball team at Concordia.
Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis is excited to see Becker get a chance to play at the next level. He's not surprised by her success.
"It's quite an honor as a coach to have a player like that," Davis said. "She's worked her whole life for this. I think it's great she is taking the next step. It says a lot about her drive and willingness to work hard."
Becker said she considered Beloit College, UW-La Crosse and Concordia.
"I knew it was between Concordia and Beloit," she said.
She attended several softball camps at Concordia and made three tours of the campus. It made a big first impression on her.
"It has great academics for everything," Becker said. "The campus is small, close and very beautiful. The coaches are great there."
It helped that she already knew Marass, a former Juda teammate and Upmann, a summer traveling softball teammate.
"Molly Marass made the decision easy for me," Becker said. "She made me feel like it was a safe campus."
Davis said the one thing that makes Becker so successful as a pitcher is her work ethic.
"It's her willingness to work hard," he said. "She stays calm under pressure. She had the bases loaded twice in the state tournament last year and got out of it for us. She's a great team player. She doesn't get down on her teammates or point fingers. She just makes the next pitch."
Becker will become one of several pitching prospects for Concordia. She isn't afraid of having to earn her role as one of the team's pitchers.
"I'm excited for the competition," Becker said. "I thrive on that."
She's not closing the door on picking up a bat and hitting in college after her senior season with the Panthers.
"The coaches told me if I show I can hit they will find a spot for me in the lineup," she said. "I have to prove myself and that is what I'm going to do."
Becker tossed three no-hitters last year and led the Panthers to the program's first ever WIAA Division 5 state championship. She's excited to continue her career at the next level in college.
"It was one of my goals when I started playing softball, I wanted to play in college and it came true," Becker said.
Juda-Albany finished 27-2 last year and captured a third-straight Six Rivers East Conference championship. Becker posted a 25-1 mark as the Panthers' pitcher last year. She had a 0.78 ERA and struck out 159, while being named all-state, all-district and first-team all-conference. Even though Becker returns as the Panthers' leading hitter from last year, .494 average with three home runs and 31 RBIs, she is signing with Concordia as a pitcher.
She is excited to have her college plans announced so she can concentrate on her senior season with the Panthers. She and Juda-Albany are looking to make a third trip to state in the past four years and are a favorite to win a fourth consecutive Six Rivers East Conference title.
"It takes a lot of pressure off of me," Becker said. "I can play loose. I know I'm going somewhere and playing somewhere. I can go have fun and do my best."
She will become the third player from Juda-Albany playing in college next year, joining Jessica Crull (University of Wisconsin-Parkside) and Danielle Dieckhoff (UW-Platteville). Both Crull and Dieckhoff are 2016 Juda High School graduates. Juda alumnas Molly Marass also played softball at Concordia, but had to stop playing due to a knee injury. Monroe alumnas Carly Upmann is also on the softball team at Concordia.
Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis is excited to see Becker get a chance to play at the next level. He's not surprised by her success.
"It's quite an honor as a coach to have a player like that," Davis said. "She's worked her whole life for this. I think it's great she is taking the next step. It says a lot about her drive and willingness to work hard."
Becker said she considered Beloit College, UW-La Crosse and Concordia.
"I knew it was between Concordia and Beloit," she said.
She attended several softball camps at Concordia and made three tours of the campus. It made a big first impression on her.
"It has great academics for everything," Becker said. "The campus is small, close and very beautiful. The coaches are great there."
It helped that she already knew Marass, a former Juda teammate and Upmann, a summer traveling softball teammate.
"Molly Marass made the decision easy for me," Becker said. "She made me feel like it was a safe campus."
Davis said the one thing that makes Becker so successful as a pitcher is her work ethic.
"It's her willingness to work hard," he said. "She stays calm under pressure. She had the bases loaded twice in the state tournament last year and got out of it for us. She's a great team player. She doesn't get down on her teammates or point fingers. She just makes the next pitch."
Becker will become one of several pitching prospects for Concordia. She isn't afraid of having to earn her role as one of the team's pitchers.
"I'm excited for the competition," Becker said. "I thrive on that."
She's not closing the door on picking up a bat and hitting in college after her senior season with the Panthers.
"The coaches told me if I show I can hit they will find a spot for me in the lineup," she said. "I have to prove myself and that is what I'm going to do."
