RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
As a 7th grader in 2016, middle infielder Morgan Mesaros was playing on Joe Spina’s PA Chaos with girls five, even six, years older than herself including future college pitcher Maggie Balint.
You could say Morgan did OK: she batted .522 at Boulder IDT that year and for the summer hit .374 with a .449 on-base percentage in 162 bats as a lead-off hitter.
That, mind you, was at the 18U level playing against many of the top teams at the time!
“At first it was a little intimidating,” Morgan said at the time, “but I’ve played with older girls my entire career. When I was 11, I pitched in a county championship game against girls who were old enough to drive. I’ve always liked playing with the best competition because it makes me a better player. The way Coach Joe runs our practices on Sunday we practice together as an organization. During my first year he gave me a lot of opportunities to practice with the 18U which was mostly seniors committed to D1 and that really helped me develop as a player.”
Before the Early Recruiting rules began in April of 2018, the 2021 Extra Elite 100 honoree, who was heavily recruited by ACC, SEC and Big Ten programs, committed to James Madison in the 8th grade and, finally, on Wednesday got to see her dream come true.
Here’s her look back on the recruiting process and making it official with her signing…
𝙎𝙄𝙂𝙉𝙀𝘿 📝
Morgan Mesaros, an infielder from Garnet Valley, PA, is officially a Duke.
Welcome home, Morgan!#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/wmfpLFWZ7N
— JMU Softball (@JMUSoftball) November 11, 2020
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Player Name: MORGAN MESAROS
Club Team: PA Chaos 18U Gold
High School (City/ST): Garnet Valley / PA
Position(s): SS, 2B
University/College: James Madison University
Where did you sign your Letter of Intent?
I officially signed at home, but took signing pictures at school and at home.
Was it a big occasion or more low-key?
It was definitely a big occasion for me and for my family! The school event was streamed live due to COVID, so that part wasn’t as big as usual, but I had my friends and coaches there which was very cool. Afterwards, my parents had a really awesome celebration at my house which included a few unexpected surprises!
Will you/did you do anything to celebrate the big day?
My parents had a really awesome celebration with my close friends, family, and coaches at my house with food, a JMU cake, and a big JMU display in our front yard!
What date (if you remember) did you actually commit and how long ago was it?
I committed on April 11, 2017 during an unofficial visit to JMU. That was 3½ years ago when I was still in 8thgrade.
What highlight stands out to you about the recruiting process?
I started my recruiting process fairly early and it was an awesome experience because I got to visit a lot of schools and meet with a lot of great people. What stands out the most for me was how much I loved JMU every time I visited there. I loved the coaching staff, the players, and the campus more each time I visited and that just continued to confirm I made the right decision.
*** Scroll down to see more about Morgan and her “aha” moment when she knew JMU was right for her…