FRANKLIN SIGNS WITH PITT STATE

Lexi Franklin is accustomed to having a lot of eyes looking her way, but on Thursday the attention directed her way was to watch a signature rather than make a pitch or drive with a basketball.

With family, extended family, teammates from her current Lady Bearcat softball team and two (Riptide and Vision) travel teams, Franklin signed a letter of intent to play softball for Pittsburgh State University in Pittsburg, Kan.

Athletic director Josh Walker started the ceremony by welcoming everyone.

“When we have an athlete sign go the next level like this it’s something exciting. We’re very proud of Lexi and the team she that she is a part of,” said Walker.

Bearcat head coach Chad Simpson said congratulations on behalf of the Lady Cat softball team.

“If you know Lexi you know she has been a huge part of the success of the Lady Cats for the last three years and what we’ve done – obviously we’ve got this huge trophy up here (state championship) – she was a huge part of that,” said Simpson.

Simpson assumed everyone knew the story of Franklin being struck in the head with a bat prior to the game, needing stitches before it started, and returning to lead the Lady Cats to their first softball title.

“The coolest thing I think we got out of all that was it shows what it means to be a Bearcat. Being tough, being able to persevere and all that,” said Simpson. “We’re very proud of her. We know she’s going to do great things at Pitt State and we’re happy to have her for one more season.”

Located in Pittsburg, Kan., the college is about a three-hour trip from Booneville but Franklin felt comfortable right away.

“As soon as I stepped on campus it felt like home,” she said after this morning’s signing, which was a formality as the Pitt State officials wanted to take no chances with the official paperwork so it was completed three weeks ago.

“It felt like Booneville if that makes sense. It wasn’t too big of a campus,” Franklin continued.

If those familiar faces want to see her play after her final season in Bearcat royal purple and old gold, they could be traveling to Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Oklahoma as Pittsburg State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

“When I was looking for a college I didn’t want to be too close to home, but I wanted just the right amount of distance,” said Franklin.

It is a distance she has covered any number of times for the travel game but also for the visit in which she was offered the scholarship – during a football game – and for multiple camps with Gorilla softball.

“I didn’t know the school existed until I went with my Vision team to scrimmage them. Then I got to visit the campus and went to camps,” said Franklin.

She will be able to cover that distance in new wheels.

While the signing itself was not a surprise, Franklin was surprised afterward with the presentation of a new vehicle from her parents, Brandon “P-nut” and Amanda Franklin.

P-nut addressed the crowd prior to the presentation.

“If I pass out don’t call 9-1-1, I’ll come back,” P-Nut joked. “With her achievement of doing what she wants to do for softball and what she did for the college she’s getting to go to, I’m really proud of her and her family is proud of her, and I’d like to show her something."

He then led the group out the front doors of BHS with current teammates shielding Franklin's eyes until it was time to show her the car.

There was one attempt to sway Franklin, who immediately accepted Pitt State’s offer but, she said, it was never really a consideration, through a travel ball teammate was going to the Oklahoma-based school.

While primarily a pitcher here – decorations for the ceremony included the balls from strikeouts 400, 500, and 600 – Franklin said she may do more in college.

“(The coach) said that I would be a pitcher, but I would also be a utility player,” said Franklin. “Pitching is great but you always like to have fun out in the field because you’re doing something different.”

That could make her more of a dangerous hitter.

Franklin hit .447 last year with 11 doubles, 6 triples, and 5 home runs. Besides her circle work, Franklin doubled in the state championship game and was intentionally walked in every other at bat on her way to being named the MVP.