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Looking Back… Two Years Ago MSU’s Alex Wilcox Died of Ovarian Cancer, But Her Passing Sparked a Movement of Support

Alex died from ovarian cancer on June 25, 2018.

Two years ago yesterday, the softball world lost one of our own, Alex Wilcox, who we first got to know nationally when she starred with the Birmingham Thunderbolts and later with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

She was one young athlete whose death impacted so many who knew her and had rallied behind her battle with ovarian cancer.

Three months after her passing, Will Tomasello and Legacy Event Management announced the creation of the Alex Wilcox Classic which is taking place this weekend… click HERE for more information on the event.

Check out our TLI article on the 4:28 Wall Sit Challenge inspired by Alex!

In our Top 15 Stories of 2018, Alex’s passing came in at #5 overall. She meant that much to our softball community.

And she will always be remembered in Starkville, Mississippi and even throughout the entire country for the light she brought to everything she did… here’s a look back over the last two years with our content we’ve done on Alex so we never forget her impact and her wonderful example…

Below are thoughts and stories we’ve presented over the last year regarding Alex and her impact…

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The Top 15 Softball Stories of 2018: #5… MSU’s Alex Wilcox Cancer Death Sparks Movement of Support

(article originally published December 27, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball)

There are some stories you cover and then there are athletes you get to know and root for.

Alex Wilcox was one I got to cover when she was both at the high school and club level and, very early on, I was impressed with her bright personality and constant smile.

But she wasn’t just a nice young teenager when I got to interview her and follow her on the field: she was an amazingly talented softball player with great skills. In fact, when I saw her playing for the Birmingham Thunderbolts organization, I ranked her as the top two-way (pitching/hitting) player in her class.

Alex Wilcox (left) and Jenna Olszeski pose after a big win in California at PGF Nationals for the Bolts 99 team.

And then, at the age of 15, she was stricken with ovarian cancer.

Everyone rooted for her and she battled and battled the insidious disease. We all eagerly waited for her to return to full health and, after joining the Mississippi State softball program, Alex never gave up and we just knew she would beat this, because how could someone so full of life ever lose hers?

This is where it became personal for me and involves a regret I will always have, one I’ve never spoken about publicly before.

I spoke with Rocky Thompson, the head coach of the Bolts 18U team, early last summer at an event and inquired about Alex and her health. He kindly gave me Alex’s parents contact info and I said I’d reach out to them as soon as I could to catch up and do a story on the young athlete, if only to get everyone up to speed on hear health and to solicit good thoughts and prayers.

The next week, before I could call them, I learned that Alex had passed away. I so regret not following up sooner, mainly because I wanted to do something on Alex paying tribute to her so she could read it and know how much people loved her.

What brings me solace is knowing that she already knew that, for she was a bright light in life and, best of all, her memory will never be forgotten. To ensure that, an event was created which will begin in 2019 called the Alex Wilcox Classic.

It will forever carry her name and when young players down the road ask who the tournament is named after, Alex’s story will be told.

Below are several stories I was fortunate to be part of over the last year… you’ll see in them how great of a reach Alex had even in her short, but accomplished, life of 18 years…

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Breaking News: Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox Dies of Ovarian Cancer

(article originally published June 25, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball)

This is Brentt Eads of Extra Inning Softball… our hearts are heavy tonight as we learned of the passing of Alex Wilcox, a fantastic softball player who I was privileged to cover when she was with the Birmingham Thunderbolts.

She was a special player, when I did my first version of the Top 100 players in the 2017 Class, she was ranked #5 overall.  Later, when I revised the list it was out that she had the ovarian cancer.  She wasn’t up to her full health and I, with hope and fingers crossed that she could beat the illness, kept her in the list—at #60—praying that she could beat the cancer and return to her dynamic level of abilities.

Alex Wilcox and Jenna Olszeski pose after a big win in California at PGF Nationals for the Bolts 99 team.

Here’s what I wrote in October of 2016:

60Alex Wilcox P… Birmingham Thunderbolts (Mississippi State)
Alex is the player in the Top 100 we are rooting for the most if only because she’s had the most adversity of anyone in the 2017 class. In the first 2017 Top 100 (released in December 2014), she was #5 because she was the top two-way player in the nation with great power in her bat—including 28 home runs in the proceeding summer and fall for the Bolts—and shined as an ace pitcher. Alex has won Alabama state titles in softball and basketball and also plays volleyball. She has shined at PGF Nationals both at the 16U and 14U levels and had over 30 D1 offers before committing to MSU.  Last December she was diagnosed with malignant ovarian cancer and has undergone surgeries and chemotherapy to combat and treat the tumor. One coach told us “she should be back to Top 5 five by next summer.” The Alabama senior has a great, positive attitude which should help her return all the way back to her dominating form and everyone in softball is rooting for her.

Obviously and painfully, the cancer never fully went away and today it took the life of not just a franchise-level softball player, but an enormous light of a person.

At the So Cal A’s Invitational, the Birmingham Thunderbolts were wearing a teal colored jersey to remember and honor Alex just as the Bulldogs did this year. 

I hope both teams still play often in those colors so we can continue to remember and pay tribute to her.

Finally, kudos to MSU for starting in February the No One Fights Alone campaign to bring awareness to ovarian cancer.

This wicked disease may have won the battle today, but in Alex’s name and for her legacy, I hope we can see the day that humanity wins the war over cancers of all kinds.

Here’s a nice video feature honoring her when she first learned of the cancer and yet still helped her Brantley High team win a third state title:

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Here’s the release issued tonight by Mississippi State Softball on HailState.com; photos of Alex at MSU courtesy of HailState.com also.

BRANTLEY, Ala. – Alex Wilcox, who inspired the softball community with her courageous battle with ovarian cancer, passed away in her hometown of Brantley, Ala., on Monday evening. She was 18.

Alex Wilcox will always be remembered by her smile,” MSU softball head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “The bravest, most courageous young lady I have ever known went through the toughest battle with a smile on her face every day. The grace and beauty that she put forward while suffering this horrific disease was truly remarkable and nothing short of heroic. Our hearts are broken for her family and all of those that loved her so dearly. The Mississippi State softball family will strive to humbly honor her warrior mentality and faith-filled heart. She will be forever missed.”

“Tonight with heavy hearts we are saddened by the loss of one of our very own in Alex Wilcox,” MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen said. “Alex always had a smile on her face and a positive attitude. Her inspirational battle taught us that indeed no one fights alone. We will never forget her presence in the dugout, in the classroom and in the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Alex, her family, her teammates, her friends and her Mississippi State family.”

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015, Wilcox defied the odds and continued to play softball throughout her treatments and help lead Brantley High School to multiple state championships. Wilcox signed with the Bulldogs in 2016.

Over her freshman campaign, Wilcox continued her fight with cancer while continuing to pursue her dreams of playing collegiate softball. She sparkled during the fall season, displaying her ability at the plate with home run power.

Despite being in the midst of chemotherapy treatments, Wilcox appeared in eight contests with three starts over her freshman season. She recorded three hits in her 15 at bats, including her first collegiate hit against UMass Lowell in March.

Mississippi State softball rallied around Wilcox throughout the 2018 season with its “No One Fights Alone” campaign as the program wore teal uniforms during midweek contests to spread awareness for ovarian cancer and Wilcox’s fight. Wilcox’s constant positivity and determination throughout her battle drew support and praise from legends in the softball community like Olympians Michele Smith and Jessica Mendoza.

The campaign sparked fire as teams across the Southeastern Conference and the country rallied around Wilcox by wearing teal and sending messages of love and support. For their selfless efforts to support, all 13 SEC softball programs were awarded the league’s Sportsmanship Award earlier this month.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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Mississippi State Pays Tribute to Alex Wilcox at Saturday’s Football Game

(article originally published September 17, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball)

One amazing person’s legacy has touched so many… Alex Wilcox will never be forgotten by not just the Mississippi State community, by also by the entire softball world. In response to the motto “No One Fights Alone,” Bulldog fans waved banners stating “I Fight Beside” at last Saturday’s football game.

Just another fun night of SEC football on Saturday, September 15, 2018?

Well, not exactly.

Although #14 ranked Mississippi State won easily 56-10 over Louisiana Lafayette at home to run its record to 3-0, there was much more to the evening than just another Bulldogs’ win.

Beloved softball player Alex Wilcox, who passed away in June from ovarian cancer, was honored at the football game in multiple ways including the retiring of her #8 which will never be worn again as an MSU softball jersey number.

Here, through twitter posts, is the telling of the events leading up to the game and halftime tribute courtesy of the HailStateSB twitter feed. Kudos also to Hail State Productions for the beautiful videos produced in Alex’s honor… #NoOneFightsAlone

And, heads up, you may well want to have a tissue or two handy…

*****

In preparation for the MSU football game, Alex’s logo and number were placed on the Bulldog helmets (video):

The football team ran onto the field with the Alex-inspired banner “No One Fights Alone:”

And then the halftime tribute that said it all (video):

You must be loved so much when 17 of your former coaches and teammates gets a tatto0 to honor and remember you (video):

Finally, a beautiful tribute from Team USA member Gwen Svekis:

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Event News: Alex Wilcox Classic Details Finalized For June 25-29, 2019 in Seminole, Florida

(article originally published September 28, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball)

The Fall Showcase season is upon us and the next three months will be packed with wall-to-wall events across the country, but it’s not too early to start planning for the Summer of 2019.

One impactful and poignant tournament you’ll want to mark on your calendar will be the Alex Wilcox Classic which will be played next June 25-29 at three venues — the Boombah Sports Complex, Boombah Soldiers Field and the Seminole County Sports Complex in Seminole County, Florida.

The purpose of the Alex Wilcox Classic, according to its organizers, is to honor and raise money in the memory of Alex Wilcox, a beloved player who played for the Birmingham Thunderbolts and Mississippi State University before succumbing to ovarian cancer in June at the age of 18.

Announced in mid-August by Tournament Director Will Tomasello — who also works with Legacy Event Management which produces elite summer and fall tournaments such as the Atlanta Legacy, Scenic City (run by Jeremy Higdon) and T-Bolt 5-Star Showcases (run by Jay Roberson) — the goal and mission for the event is three-fold: “We want to celebrate the life of Alex, raise money in her memory and bring awareness of ovarian cancer,” he explains.

Alex Wilcox played for the Birmingham Bolts and Mississippi State before passing away in June, 2018.

“It’s amazing how the tragic loss of someone can inspire people to act,” Tomasello continues. “With the support of the family, we are launching this annual tournament and are partnering with the Geaux Teal foundation, which has been supported and promoted by LSU head coach Beth Torina after her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the Mississippi State University Alex Wilcox Endowed Scholarship.”

The event will also include a two-day softball clinic in the two days prior to the tournament that culminates in a dinner to introduce the Wilcox family, experts in the field of cancer research and other special guests.

The website for teams who want to apply for entry in the event is live at www.AlexWilcoxClassic.com and many of the top teams from around the nation, particularly the South are expected to participate, including the 2018 PGF 18U Premier National Champion Georgia Impact-Lewis team.

Squads from five states have already applied and teams looking to register can do so on the website. The event offers a five-game guarantee and is single elimination.

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