GAYLESVILLE – Gaylesville softball coach Steve Baker remembers the first practice he had with Malaya Shireman. He said the first thing Shireman said to him was she would sign a scholarship.
“That was a ninth grader talking,” Baker said. “She impressed me from the get-go.”
True to her word, Shireman signed that softball scholarship on Wednesday morning. She’s going to Division III Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan.
“It feels kind of weird right now. It doesn’t feel real yet,” Shireman said. “I’m excited to start college there. It’s something new. I’m just really excited for it.”
It hasn’t been an easy journey for Shireman on the diamond. She’s persevered through several injuries in her career.
As a first baseman and pitcher last season, Shireman batted .408 with five home runs and 42 RBIs. She also struck out 156 batters in 162 innings in the circle.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play somewhere,” she said. “It’s been hard and I’ve had a lot of obstacles come my way that made me think I wasn’t going to be able to. I’m just really happy I am.”
Baker is as well.
“She’s just always been the one to put forth more effort,” Baker said. “She’s battled through many injuries. There have been days when I’ve told her you don’t need to run, but if the team was going to do it, then she was going to do it. If I’m being honest, there are days the team didn’t have to run because I knew she didn’t need to run and I knew she was going to do it. She’s been a leader from the get-go, and this year, she really became more vocal.”
Shireman plans to major in biology at Olivet. She said she’s already made a friend with fellow incoming freshman and catcher Kendall Green.
“She’s from Michigan, so she can tell me a lot about how it is up there,” Shireman said.
While it may take some time for Shireman to adapt to her new surroundings, Baker has told her to remember one thing.
“I told her she’s representing Gaylesville School, and what she does is reflective of Gaylesville School,” Baker said. “I know she’s one who’s going to stick with it. She’s going to work hard. She’s going to graduate, and she’s probably going to play all four years. I feel like she’ll definitely fit in. She’d fit in anywhere she went.”