SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State softball head coach Holly Hesse announced today the signing of transfer Emily Shipman. The 2023-24 season will serve as Shipman’s final year of eligibility.
Shipman spent last season in NCAA Division II at Southern Arkansas University, located in Magnolia, Ark. In her lone season at Southern Arkansas, she helped lead her team to a 45-15 record and a Central Region championship. Shipman started 53 games for the Muleriders, batting .272 with 43 hits, 34 RBI, 15 doubles, seven home runs and a .513 slugging percentage.
Prior to her stint at Southern Arkansas, Shipman spent her first two collegiate seasons at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo. She was twice named to the all-region first team and the Region 16 all-tournament team as a catcher, while also earning NJCAA Academic All-American honors.
As a sophomore, Shipman batted .331 with 34 RBI, eight doubles and four home runs as she helped guide the Roughriders to a 53-8 record and both district and Region 16 titles. In her freshman campaign at Crowder, she racked up 47 RBI, 10 homers, scored 44 runs and owned a .381 average en route to a 47-8 overall record and a regular season championship.
Shipman hails from Forsyth, Mo., where she played three seasons at Forsyth High School. She was named to the all-conference and all-district first teams all three years, was a two-time all-region selection and earned first-team all-state honors in her junior season. During her high school career, Shipman helped lead the Panthers to three conference championships and a district title, while hitting at least .560 every season. In her junior campaign, the best and final season of her career due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shipman hit .644 with 58 hits, 53 RBI, 51 runs, 16 doubles, 13 stolen bases and a 1.067 slugging percentage.
Hesse on Shipman:
“We are happy to welcome a local talent to the Bear family for her final year of eligibility. Emily brings strong leadership and competitiveness behind the plate, and she will provide a wealth of experience and depth to our catching corps. We are excited to add a powerful bat to our lineup.”
