SIGNING DAY: Prattville has four softball stars sign with colleges

Prattville High’s Kaia Eaton signed a scholarship offer with Stillman College. (Staff Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

PRATTVILLE -- Prattville High School held a signing ceremony on Wednesday for four softball players, including one that hasn’t taken the field yet for the Lions. 

First baseman Kaia Eaton was among those signing the paperwork to attend college on Wednesday despite having never played for the Lions. Eaton was at Selma High last year and will pitch and play first base when the season starts in three more months.

“I feel good about today,” Eaton said. “A lot of people don’t get to do this, where I’m from. I feel good about signing with Stillman and feel good to be here, too.”

Others signing on Wednesday include shortstop Kaylee Robles, outfielder Zandia Bozeman and second baseman Zarria Bozeman. Anderson will play collegiately at Anderson University, a Division II program in South Carolina.

“It all hit me a couple of hours before,” Robles said. “Oh my gosh, I’m actually signing. This is serious. There’s a bunch of different emotions that come into that.”

Her story is one others seeking a scholarship could enjoy. She was spotted by a rival travel ball coach who knew the coaches at Anderson and recommended her which, in turn, earned her a private tryout that sold the Anderson coaches on her ability.

Kaylee Robles signed with Division II member Anderson on Wednesday. (Staff Photo)

“She had solidified that (shortstop) spot for us and done a lot of great things in her career here,” Prattville coach Brian Pittman said. “She was the offensive MVP for our team as a sophomore and was a member of the North-South all-star team this past summer, which ranks her as one of the top players in the state.”

Robles said she needs to work on her aggression before taking the field in college. 

“I’m a very light-hearted person, so it takes something in me to actually be aggressive and tell people what to do,” she said. “But as a senior who’s going to college, that’s something I feel like I need, just to be more assertive.”

The Bozeman sisters played together at Wetumpka High and then last season at Prattville High, so it was only natural for the pair to select a college together, with both planning to attend Xavier University in New Orleans. 

The Bozeman sisters, Zarria and Zandia, signed with Xavier on Wednesday. (Staff Report)

“I just wanted to go some place close, but my sister, I didn’t want to separate from her,” Zandia said. “Especially going that far without being with somebody I know. I would like for us to go somewhere together, but that isn’t always what I felt was necessary. If she went somewhere better than me, I would accept the fact that she’s got to do what she needs to do to get it done, but us having the opportunity to be together, that’s why I took the opportunity.

“When I first visited Xavier, when I first got on campus, I immediately fell in love. Everyone was nice and welcoming and I felt that was the place I needed to be.”

Zarria was sold on the school’s HBCU history as well. 

“We’ve been together our whole life, so we couldn’t see ourselves separated,” she said. “Most people probably don’t know that Xavier is a HBCU and I really want to know more about the culture. And it felt like home.” 

First, Pittman is counting on the sisters to lead Prattville back into the playoffs this season. 

“Zandia came to us last year from Wetumpka and fit right in, immediately,” Pittman said. “You would’ve thought she had been with this group all the way. She played a lot of different positions in the outfield and was very good with the bat. (Zarria) stepped right in to play second base for us and got in the middle of our lineup and had some really big hits for us.”