Photo provided by: kim north
GLEN DALE – John Marshall softball star Eva Blake officially announced Monday that she will be attending Marshall University on a softball scholarship. The Monarchs senior signed her NCAA Division I National Letter of Intent in front of her family and friends.
“I feel like I finally have a home. I feel like all the hard work has finally paid off,” Blake said. “I’m ready to go to Marshall and show what kind of person I am. I want to represent the state I love, and to be able to do that and play at the highest level is a dream come true.”
Blake was a key cog in the Monarchs’ march to the West Virginia Class AAA state championship last spring. ”
An enthusiastic Blake said he had been contacted by other schools, but once he spoke with Marshall, the recruiting process was over.
“I jumped at Marshall right away. I knew that was where I wanted to be,” she emphasized. “My coaches talked to other schools, but the only other DI offer I received was from Bowling Green State University.”
She said the deciding factor was that she wanted to be in a place where she could grow on and off the field.
“I wanted to go somewhere that would help me grow as a whole, not just my mind and body,” she explained. “I absolutely love the coaches at Marshall. First of all, they are all women under the age of 30 who are professional softball players or were on Athletes Unlimited. I can’t wait to play for them. . I was a fan of theirs, so it’s an honor to play for them.”
She said her friendships at Marshall were another plus.
“It’s one big community, one big family atmosphere. Each team supports each other and no sport is left behind,” she added. “You play for something bigger than yourself. You play for her 75 people who died in the (1970) plane crash. You play for the values of the team and the morals of the team. I play for.”
Ed West, who stepped down as John Marshall University’s head coach after winning last season’s title, coached Ava during her first three years of high school.
“She was a fierce competitor and had the skills to match,” he said. “She was also a leader on and off the field and was a joy to coach. Coaches and teammates loved her, but opponents feared her. She had speed, a glove, She’s got the bat and everything. She can hit average and with power.”
Blake batted .340 with 15 RBIs, 33 hits, and two home runs as a freshman. As a sophomore, she had a .448 batting average, 32 RBIs, 48 hits, and seven home runs, three of which were grand slams. In her junior season, she had a .451 slugging percentage, 41 RBI, 44 hits, and 15 home runs, a single-season school record.
Blake will play his senior season under the guidance of his father, Rob. She is majoring in nursing, minoring in psychology, and aims to become a travel nurse.
In addition to his father, his mother Heather and older sisters Aubrey, Abby, and Anna are also big supporters.