SOUTHMOORE’S SYDNEY SHERRILL IS SET ON MAKING HISTORY

Way back in 2008, the USA. The Women's National Team was in Oklahoma City to play a series of games against international competition. A young Sydney Sherrill was among the throng of fans in the stands to watch. Sherrill says she doesn't remember many details about the experience, just that she was so thrilled to be there and incredibly excited to see superstar pitcher Jennie Finch.

"It's so crazy to think about being there to watch Jennie Finch pitch," said Sherrill. "I was still playing baseball at the time but was moving into softball, and my parents took me to the Hall of Fame to watch. The thing I do remember so well is standing in line after the game to get Jenny's autograph on my glove."

Sherrill says it's ever crazier for her that the cycle of softball stardom has turned to the point where hordes of young softball fans now stand in line to get her autograph. As a member of the Oklahoma City Spark, in their inaugural season for the World Professional Fastpitch League (WPF), Sherrill now carries the banner for softball like Finch, and her teammates did back in 2008.

"Just to think about how far the sport has come over the past ten years is awesome," said Sherrill. "I've been so blessed that I have been able to experience part of that rise in my career."

Sherrill's spectacular career includes a school-record 283 games played at Florida State University, where she was one of the most decorated players in Seminole history.

Among her many honors from her time in Tallahassee are multiple selections as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and All-ACC Team. She also helped lead Florida State to an NCAA national championship in 2018. In high school, Sherrill starred for the Southmoore Sabercats, leading them to a 2017 6A Oklahoma State championship and being named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year.

"Honest, I do not have the words to express how grateful I am for my time in Moore and Tallahassee," said Sherrill. "I'm so proud of everyone in the sport of softball, how hard they've worked, and how far the sport has come. Especially Oklahoma City. It's amazing to me every year how OKC softball fans show up to support the sport. But just to be playing in the Hall of Fame again 15 or so years after watching Jenny Finch and Team USA play as a little girl is so awesome."

Those who were paying attention during the 2023 Women's College World Series know that Sherrill also became an off-the-field, viral internet sensation with her support of Florida State during this year's tournament. Various videos of Sherrill enthusiastically leading cheers for the Seminoles during the playoffs circulated. Those who know Sherrill well were not surprised by her passionate support.

"Playing at Florida State changed my life, and I still have a lot of friends on the team," said Sherrill. "I just wanted to be there for them and cheer them on because I had the time of my life playing with them."

That passion for the sport and her teammates has been a hallmark of Sherrill's playing time since high school. She says she is still having the time of her life this summer, playing third base and leading off for the Oklahoma City Spark. She is also very aware that she and her teammates are part of a history-making season.

"I hope this is the first step in getting our sport to a point where won't have to worry about a job outside of softball. She will just be able to play the game she loves."

Sherrill wants to make sure that as much as she longs for a professional path for softball players, she still loves the life she gets to live now, which includes a new full-time coaching position at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Honestly, it's a dream come true for me to be able to do this," said Sherrill. "To continue to play and get to work with Coach Hays at Grand Canyon."

The path to coaching comes as naturally to Sherrill as playing softball. But don't think that means all these opportunities simply fell into her lap. She says she has always worked hard to get to this

"I started doing teaching lessons, running camps and clinics in Tallahassee," said Sherrill. "I realized that my knowledge of the game is something I can give back to the younger generation to help grow this game. I just became very confident in my ability to coach and teach. I also began to think about my coaches' great impact on me as a player and a person, especially Coach Alameda. The impact she had on me as a player and a person, moving to Florida 15 hours away from home when I was 17 years old, and how she helped me through all my ups and downs of life helped

That is a life-lesson Sherrill intends to pass on to younger players now as a Grand Canyon assistant coach. She was Coach Dan Hays's volunteer assistant last year and is ready to step into a full-time role.

"Grand Canyon is building such a great program and had a really successful year this year," said Sherrill. "Coaching at a mid-major is a fun experience, and our goal is to get to a super-regional. After that, the sky is the limit."

As she navigates this new career path balancing playing professionally with coaching, Sherrill says the sense of playing a role in elevating women's softball to the next

"I understand that I am playing at a high level right now," said Sherrill. "And the fact that I get to play in Oklahoma City with players like Jo (Jocelyn Alo) and Michelle Moultrie is helping raise the bar for the sport and for the players who are yet to come. Everyone on our team and in the Spark organization is

For Sherrill, that's a wonderfully crazy, full-circle thought for a kid who once sat in Hall of Fame stadium stands, watching Jenny