McCubbin named state’s top softball pitcher

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For 15-year-old Brooke McCubbin of Locust Grove, playing on her school’s softball team has opened the door to the possibility of a bright future.

“I feel blessed to be on such a good team with a bunch of great girls,” she said. “Softball has made it possible for all of us to be in this position, go to college and do what we want.”

Locust Grove High School sophomore Brooke McCubbin (right) was recently named the best pitcher in the Region 4 AAAAA division by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association. Special photo

McCubbin, a sophomore at Locust Grove High School (LGHS) has turned heads in recent months for her performance on the softball diamond. Earlier this year, she was named the top pitcher in AAAAA Region 4 by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association. She recently earned the title of the top softball pitcher in the state.

“I was very excited, because it was a pretty big honor,” said McCubbin. “I was also proud of my team, because they won awards too. It was cool to see everyone being given honors.”

McCubbin started playing when she was just seven years old. Her first foray into playing at the high-school level came last year, when she tried out for LGHS’s junior varsity team. Although McCubbin didn’t play any games at the JV level, her talents didn’t go unnoticed. Instead, LGHS Softball Coach Chris Davis moved her up to a spot on the varsity team as a pitcher during her freshman year.

McCubbin credited her teammates with helping her to succeed on the pitcher’s mound.

“When I’m pitching for the school team, I feel comfortable,” she said. “I know they’re going to have my back.”

Davis is in his 10th year guiding the team at Locust Grove High School. Coach Davis voiced high praise for McCubbin’s abilities in the sport.

“She throws really hard, but she pitches really good too,” said Davis. “She has the combination of being able to do both.”

Davis said McCubbin set new school records for wins in a season as a pitcher this year, with 22. He also described her as a “natural power hitter.”

“She set a new record for home runs in a season for the school,” said Davis. “She hit 11.”

Davis added that McCubbin, despite her young age, has emerged as a leader on her softball team.

“She’s only a sophomore this year, but she’s really grown up in the leadership-type roles,” said Davis. “She’s a very humble young lady. She enjoys the successes of others as well as herself. She’s very much a team-type player. She’s a talented girl, but she really is an overall great person. It’s very easy to root for her.”

McCubbin’s mother, Hollie, has watched her daughter grow in her softball skills over the years. She said she was “in awe” when she learned Brooke had been recognized as the best softball pitcher in Georgia.

“That’s a great honor for being so young,” said Hollie McCubbin. “I know she worked hard and gave it everything she had. I just couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. You always think your kid is good because that’s your kid. But, seeing is believing.”

Brooke McCubbin has also excelled off the field, maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average thus far in high school. Her mother expressed pride in those accomplishments as well.

“We always stress that her academics come first,” said Hollie McCubbin. “You’re a student first, and an athlete second. We don’t have to stay on her. She’s very self-motivated to do well in school.”

Hollie McCubbin added that her daughter already has her sights set on the next phase of her softball career. The teenager has already committed to play softball at the University of Mississippi.

“She verbally committed in January of last year to Ole Miss,” said Hollie McCubbin. “She had a lot of interest, but Ole Miss was where she felt at home.”

Brooke McCubbin’s grandfather, Mike Sofge of McDonough, is also among those applauding Brooke for her success, on and off the field. He is looking forward to seeing how far her talents will take her in the years to come.

“I’m just super excited for her, and I have no doubt she’ll be able to get a scholarship out of it,” said Sofge.

Brooke McCubbin is hopeful that she can continue to be a successful pitcher and help her team win championships over the next two years. Beyond softball, she is considering a career as a physical therapist after college.

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