Morgan No. 17 Overall Pick in 2014 NPF Draft

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M softball senior Nicole Morgan was chosen as the No. 17 overall pick in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Draft by the Pennsylvania Rebellion Monday night.

“I’m excited to join the Pennsylvania Rebellion this summer,” Morgan said. “Playing professional softball has been a goal of mine since I started playing the sport and I am so thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given. My career at Texas A&M has prepared me for this once in a lifetime chance and I am so grateful for the coaches and teammates who have helped me reach this point.”

Morgan was the first selection of the fifth round of the draft, and the fifth pick by the Rebellion. She will join fellow rookies Dallas Escobedo (Arizona State), Taylor Edwards (Nebraska), Bryana Walker (Washington), Anna Miller (USC Upstate) and Victoria Hayward (Washington) on the team’s roster this summer.

From The Woodlands, Texas, Morgan leads the Aggies at the plate this season in home runs (10), RBI (40), slugging percentage (.777), on base percentage (.541) and walks (36). Morgan’s seven pickoffs as the Aggies’ starting catcher are a Southeastern Conference best, and she ranks among the top ten in the SEC in slugging percentage (6th), on base percentage (8th), RBI (4th), home runs (t-3rd) and walks (2nd).  The 2013 NFCA All-South Region First Team selection has also found her way into the Texas A&M career record books, with 142 RBI (6th), 43 home runs (4th), 116 walks (3rd), and 870 putouts (10th).

“I’m excited for Nic,” Texas A&M Head Coach Jo Evans said. “She certainly is deserving, and I think that with her athleticism and her skill set, she could bring a lot to that team: versatility, the fact that she can catch and play first base, and hit with that kind of power in the lineup. She’ll have a lot to bring to the table and will be very successful. It’s an honor for our program to have a player of her caliber drafted into the NPF.”

The Rebellion are in their first season in the NPF after coming together in November of 2013, inheriting the roster of the NY/NJ Comets. Based in Washington, Penn., the team will play at CONSOL Energy Park as they compete for the first time in 2014. The Rebellion are owned and managed by Francine Williams.

The draft was streamed live from Ford Theater in Nashville and featured five rounds of four picks by the league’s four teams: the Rebellion, the Akron Racers, the Chicago Bandits and the USSSA Pride.

Morgan will continue her fourth-and-final season with the Aggies on Wednesday as Texas A&M plays a single game at Houston. To learn more about Texas A&M softball, log on to AggieAthletics.com and follow @AggieSoftball on Twitter.

Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics

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