QUINCY – This fall, former Jacks softball player Emilee Morris will be attending Saint Martin University to play for the Saints. Her journey to Lacey was not a linear path. After walking away from Lamar Community College, she was content never playing again, she said.  

“It was just like a whole wave of just anger where I just like, I threw away all my cleats, I threw away a bunch of stuff, and I was kind of just like, I'm okay with never playing again,” Morris said.  

After closing the chapter on a successful time with the Quincy softball team in 2024, Morris was heading to Lamar, Colorado. According to her, the coach who recruited her left the program before she arrived, and some of the players followed. It was not ideal, but she decided to stick it out with the players who also opted to stay at Lamar, she said.  

Morris saw a lot of playing time throughout her freshman season. She started at shortstop and was the leadoff hitter every game, she said. According to Morris, she faced a lot of performance anxiety, and her teammates were also facing mental health challenges. She ultimately felt that support for her and the team's mental struggles was lacking.  

“I think it was a hard year for everyone, and I think that some of the mental struggles that the team was facing just weren't really being recognized ... it just didn't turn out to be what anyone really signed up for,” she said.  

She reached out to Jason Weatherly, her former club softball coach and current head coach of softball at Yakima Valley College. She explained the situation and asked for guidance on what she should do. He offered support and understanding, but more importantly, expressed his concern for her losing passion for the sport, Morris said.  

“I was just kind of re-encouraging her and reinforcing the fact that she's a really good ball player,” Weatherly said.  

Before the year ended, Morris stepped away from LCC and returned home while she was in the transfer portal. While she was home, Knights head coach Lisa Lawrence reached out to Morris and invited her to be a volunteer coach this past spring. Lawrence coached Morris with the Moses Lake Rattlers summer softball team when she was younger.  

“I'm always looking for coaches, and I love when I get to coach with my former athletes, because I know they know my style of instruction and expectations. So, it was really fun having her come out and help the girls. I think she had a good time doing it too, and kept her busy in the meantime,” Lawrence said.  

According to Morris, in addition to receiving support from Weatherly, her time spent with the Knights softball team helped her regain the spark she lost. Once she stepped back onto the field and began working with the team, she knew she was not done yet, she said.  

While working with the team, she was going through the recruiting process once again. According to Morris, she wanted to remain close to home. As she began to look at colleges, she said she was skeptical at first of what coaches were offering. When she met Saint Martin's Head Coach, Jim Peterson, her skepticism subsided.  

“He was always straightforward about how he ran his program and why he was so successful, and coach Peterson, he's a very knowledgeable guy when it comes to softball,” Morris said.  

More importantly, Morris said Peterson went out of his way to check in with her and see how she was doing.  

“He's been there for me, checked up and made sure everything was good to go. He still contacts me about once a week, as he does with all the other girls... his biggest fear was me resenting (softball). He didn't want me to lose passion for the sport, and he didn't want to force the sport on me, which I really liked and loved about what he said,” she said.  

Soon after, Morris committed to the Saints program and will be attending the school this fall. Though Lamar was not the place for her, she hopes future athletes are able to find a home there and the program is successful going forward. She is excited to build a connection with the team there and have success with a program that has a history of doing so.  

“I'm hoping to make it back to regionals. This team is very successful, and with only losing two seniors, it's huge for a university, especially at a D2 level. So, it's going to be fun to get back out there and just enjoy the sport again and hopefully make it far,” Morris said.  

    Emilee Morris, a former Jacks softball player, pitches in a game during her junior season. Morris said she loved her time at Quincy and wanted to leave her mark as a leader while with the team.
  

    Emilee Morris steps up to bat for the Moses Lake Rattlers. Morris is dipping her toes into coaching as she moves forward with her athletic career.
  

    Emilee Morris, 55, accepting the Kate Austin scholarship in 2024. According to Morris, the scholarship gives three athletes $1,000 every year.
  

    Emilee Morris on a visit to Saint Martin’s where she will be playing next year. Morris said Head Coach, Jim Peterson, was supportive of her during the recruitment process which helped her decide that it would be a good fit for her.