Goshen High senior Casey Allen has committed to play softball at Wallace State-Hanceville starting in the spring of 2017.

“I have been playing softball since I was 8 years old,” Allen said. “It has always been like a dream to be able to go on and play after high school. I feel extremely blessed to be able to play there.”

While participating this summer at a volleyball camp on campus, Wallace State head coach Jayne Clem asked the senior multi-sport athlete could come hit some softballs. From there the rest was history.

“I was really excited about it,” Allen said. “Coach Amy was talking to the coach for me and they had watched me play at regionals and they wanted to see me hit. After we played volleyball all day, I went over to the softball coach to hit for the coach.”

Those were the first swings Allen has taken since she broke her wrist in the state tournament.

“I was really nervous that I would do bad,” Allen said. “I was really tired after playing volleyball, but I did pretty decent for it being the first time since the summer.”

Allen has done more than play “decent” at the catcher position for Goshen excelling both at the plate and behind it.

“Casey just has this will to win that is amazing,” said Eagles head coach Amy Warrick. “She is an incredible kid. When she comes around to the front, she is going to do her part. She is not going to let anybody down and she is going to put the team first. She carries us. She is a great catcher.”

Before getting injured in the state tournament, Allen had a .398 batting average with five homeruns, 27 runs batted in, a .441 on base percentage and a healthy slugging percentage of .622.

One thing that that will make the decision much more special for Allen is the fact that her best friend and fellow teammate on both the volleyball and softball teams, Kati Thomas will be making the trip up north as well.

“I am really happy because I didn’t want to go by myself and Kati is my best friend,” Allen said. “We have done everything together since kindergarten.”

Allen’s goal is to transition from Wallace State to a Division I program.

“I went to their camp in August,” Allen said. “They were teaching me things about my catching like my pop up times and transferring the ball from my glove to my hand. I plan on going to a four-year school after Wallace. I have always been a competitor and I definitely plan on working harder.”

Allen’s parents are Melinda and Rex Allen.