(Atlantic) Atlantic senior Olivia Engler made her commitment to Iowa Central Community College official on Monday with a special signing ceremony at Atlantic High School.
Engler signed a letter of intent to play softball for the Tritons. “I’m ready to sell myself to softball. I think I just did that, but I’m ready for it. I really liked the campus and I really liked the softball team and the coaches. It was where I saw myself succeeding the most.”
She developed a close connection to the Iowa Central coaching staff, more so than any other potential destination. “I didn’t get that from any other coaches. Those two were the ones that responded and I was really thankful for that because it made me feel like I was valued as a player. That’s why I really wanted to go to Iowa Central.”
Iowa Central Head Coach Bo Tjebben is excited about the addition. “We see her stepping in right away and being a huge impact player for us right away. She continues to get better and better. She can spin it, she can throw it, she swings the bat pretty well too and we let our pitchers hit. We are just very, very excited and can’t wait to watch her grow. The sky is the limit for her. She has a ton of talent.”
Pitching coach Alex Boyce echoed those sentiments. “You seem like a sponge and I just feel like you will just take everything I say and go with it. I’m really excited to work with you on the pitching side of things.”
They believe Engler can help their program achieve their biggest goals. “Every year our goal is to make it to Clinton, Mississippi. That’s the national tournament…With the help of her I think we can definitely reach our goals and get to Clinton, Mississippi.
Engler in her junior season for Atlantic was 14-2 as a pitcher with a 1.10 ERA and 134 strikeouts. She hit .471 with 24 RBI.
Click below to listen to audio from Engler, parents, and coaches:
