We know Brenna Morrissey might be one of the best ice hockey players on the Georgia State campus. But, that's not too important.
We know Brenna transferred to GSU from a Massachusetts college that probably had about the same number of students as in one Commons housing unit on the GSU campus. But, that's not too important.
We know Brenna may be one of the few New Hampshire natives on the GSU campus. But, that's not too important.
We know her nickname from her teammates is Lil' Bit because she is 5-foot-4 when she stands as tall as she can. But, that's not too important.
What is important is that Brenna has emerged as one of the GSU softball team's key players in their drive for a CAA Championship and she has a chance to be selected to the All-CAA team.
With confidence and courage, sophomore Brenna Morrissey has forged a path that has led to success for both her and for Georgia State softball.
Born in Salem, New Hampshire, about 30 miles north of Boston, Brenna got her first pair of ice skates when she was about a year and a half old and dad, Philip, had her out on the ice learning to skate. Since dad had played hockey, Brenna figured she'd learn to play herself and did so on boys' teams at a young age. It wasn't until middle school that she played on an all-girls hockey team. Her club hockey team, Assabet Valley in Concord, Mass., won national championships in her divisions in 2007 and 2003.
As a young child she kind of hoped she might play hockey at Harvard before she really knew what Harvard and college was all about. Midway through high school, she wanted one more shot with hockey and left her hometown high school that didn't have a hockey team to finish two years at Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.).
Meanwhile before she left Salem, Brenna had turned into a pretty fair softball player, too, as she helped her high school team win two state championships. The Salem Eagle Tribune newspaper named her to their All-Star team. She continued softball at Lawrence Academy and batted a sensational .518 as a junior and then got even bette, batting .710 as a senior.
When asked if hockey and softball had anything similar, she noted there wasn't really too much. “I guess the hand-eye coordination of guiding the puck where you want and hitting a softball are similar, but the skills are mostly different," she said. "Hockey is so fast, so ongoing at a rapid pace and so team oriented every second of play. Softball is not really fast-paced. You have to wait to bat and it is one-on-one with the pitcher and hitter.”
So, in 2009 she knew it was time to think about picking a college but hadn't really been talking to colleges throughout her high school career about her softball skills. She opted to accept a scholarship to play at nearby Assumption College, a Division II school of 2,000 students in Worcester, Mass. As a freshman, Brenna batted .437 with a .620 slugging percentage as the shortstop and earned All-Northeast 10 first team conference honors.
“Talk about polar opposites, that would be Assumption and GSU,” she said. “There was one road in and one road out there and almost all of the 2,000 students lived on the campus. You had to drive everywhere to do anything else. Here in downtown Atlanta, it is full of activity and you can walk to a lot of things. Going into Boston a lot as a kid, I learned to like the big city lifestyle.”
Using her confidence and courage again, Brenna got her letter of release from Assumption athletics and just started surfing the Internet for Division I schools, sending e-mails and making phone calls to coaches on her own to enroll in January. Georgia State was one of those that spoke with her about a chance.
“I figured that if she was willing to come that far on her own for a tryout, we ought to take a look at her,” Head Coach Roger Kincaid said. “She had missed all our fall practices and I knew it was hard for her. An injury to another player actually opened a door for her and she was ready. She fit right in and the other girls accepted her easily.”
“At first, we needed her infield fielding skills to help get some practice repetitions, so that was how she helped us,” coach said. “She is scrappy and enthusiastic. She is really helping us now as a hitter in the games. She frustrates pitchers by working the pitch count, fouling balls off and really making them work. Brenna has good bat speed. I can honestly say she has earned what opportunities she has gotten.”
“Wow, that was terrifying to know I was coming more than a thousand miles from home just to try out as a walk-on player,” Brenna remembered. “I kind of figured my teammates wouldn't respect me as just a walk on and I didn't know a single person here. But, I wanted my chance, so I decided to go for it.”
Coming those 1,100 miles by yourself isn't as easy as it might seem because you are pretty much responsible for everything and need friends for support.
“I don't mind the big city and big university, but I am still learning it,” she said. I text my mom and little sister, Rachel, daily and call my dad often. So, we're in touch regularly. I helped coach my sister in softball last summer so we stay close.”
What's been different? “Well, my teammates and friends sometimes think I talk funny when I say certain words or phrases,” the New Englander noted. “So, we joke about whether I talk funny or they are the ones talking funny with their Southern accents.”
Brenna is a Studio Art major at GSU and hopes to concentrate in graphic design next year. “I think graphic design strikes me because it is used every day and people don't necessarily realize it,” she noted. “A lot of work goes into the logo of a store or the layout of a magazine page.”
Brenna came to GSU foremost to play softball. So, how did that progress? “It was hard to gain acceptance and show I could play a role at first. I didn't get to play in the first 10 games. Then, we're playing on the road at Top 25 Auburn, and in the seventh inning Coach Kincaid told me to put the batting helmet on because I was pinch hitting. I was nervous, but I got a walk and then came around and scored a run. The team battled hard and came together even though it was a close loss.”
She admitted the Auburn game was good, but not exactly normal. “I actually pinch hit for our catcher and since both of our regular catchers had played and couldn't come back into the game, I would have had to go in and play catcher if we had tied the game. The assistant coach had a red sharpie out and was writing down the signals on my wrist, while trying to find catcher's gear that would have fit me.”
That Auburn game got her another pinch-hit chance three games later vs. Mississippi State and she came through with a double and scored again. “I think that gave a little proof to my teammates that I could contribute and relaxed me just a little," she noted.
She really fired up her teammates when she got the game-winning and only hit for the Panthers to beat rival Kennesaw State in March. “I think a lot of our team grew up playing against a lot of that team's players, so they wanted to have some bragging rights.”
Like any player, Brenna hit a little slump, but she got the momentum back with a two-run home run in a win over UNC Wilmington. “I think that surprised my teammates a little because they didn't think I could hit home runs since they were always just calling me Lil' Bit.”
Lil' Bit had a little bit more to show her teammates and CAA opponents. There were the back-to-back 2-hit games with five RBI in wins over Delaware. Then, there was the 3-for-3 game with two home runs and four RBI in a romp at James Madison. “We were going crazy with enthusiasm in the dugout that day because we knew we had to win and we picked each other up.”
Lil' Bit is now on a seven-game hitting streak heading into this weekend's showdown at Hofstra for first place and number one seed in the conference tournament. Brenna is batting .340 in her 17 CAA games as the team's designated player and has a chance to be named to the All-CAA team.
“Now, I am at the point I can be myself and expect to do well,” she said. “The pressure has been lifted and the whole team is having fun together. I am glad I came to Georgia State and am glad we're winning and I am contributing.”
Her story is a lil' bit different than most, but we bet you agree it is a darn good one.
