Faith Robinson, who starred on the softball diamond for Meridian Community College and Mississippi State University, has been chosen as the new Eagles’ softball coach, according to MCC President Dr. Scott Elliott. She replaces the recently retired Robert Eakins.

    Robinson played third base for the Eakins’ Eagles in 2000-01 and helped MCC get to the NJCAA national tournament both seasons. Now, her challenge is to guide the Eagles’ program back to that prominence as its new head coach.

    “We are excited to have Faith leading this program,” Elliott said. “We feel she has the expertise, energy and enthusiasm to re-build our softball program into something really special. She knows what is required to become a champion because she’s done it herself as a college player on the junior and senior college levels, and she also has considerable experience in high school and college coaching.”

    Robinson has most recently been coaching a high school travel squad, the Rampage-Orange, mentoring some of Mississippi’s top 14 to 16-year old softball talent. She has coached numerous players who have earned college scholarships. Previously, she has coaching experience at Clinton and Warren Central High Schools in Mississippi and DeKaney High School in Houston, Texas.  She also had a stint on the collegiate level at Millsaps.

    “I am really looking forward to my renewed association with MCC softball,” Robinson said. “In fact, it’s a dream come true for me to come back to MCC.  Being a Lady Eagle was one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life, and I want to try to make that happen for a lot of young ladies in the future at MCC. I want to recruit players who will be serious students and positive representatives of the college and community and who will strive to win on the field. And I want it to be fun.”

    Robinson was an honor graduate from MCC and went on to earn a BS degree from Mississippi State, again with honors. She is also a graduate of Clinton High School, where she helped the Arrows capture state championships in both slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball.

    “I see no reason why we can’t be highly successful at MCC,” Robinson said. “Despite the fact that the program has struggled some in recent years, it remains a program with great tradition. MCC is the only junior college softball program in the state to have won a national NJCAA championship (slow-pitch, 1997), not to mention numerous other regional and state championships.

    “MCC is located in the top region in the state for high school softball, many of those programs in Lauderdale County or immediately adjacent to Lauderdale County. There is a lot of area talent on which a foundation for success can be built. My goal is to re-capture the magic that has been MCC softball and to do it in a hurry.”

    Elliott noted that Robinson’s first duties will be to make contact with MCC’s returning players and freshmen signees, while also finishing up recruiting for the 2013 season.