GLEN ALLEN, Va. -- All it took was one trip to Ann Arbor for Emerson Aiken to know where she will play College Softball.
"I had some great family friends in Michigan who encouraged me to visit the campus and that was ultimately what led me to fall in love with Michigan and I committed," Aiken explained. "I'm very thankful and very grateful with my decision and I've never been happier.
The Glen Allen standout pitcher signed to play at Michigan in an outdoor ceremony at her home. A day that was over a year in the making.
"I visited Michigan September 7th {last year}," Aiken stated. "And that was the day that I committed. I was just overcome with joy in that moment. The fact that it's now official after all of this time, it was such a great moment."
One of the biggest reasons Emerson committed to Michigan is the coaching staff, led by Coach Carol Hutchins. She is the winningest coach in NCAA history and made it know how much she wanted Aiken to be a member of the team.
"They're great people," Aiken said. "And that was one thing that stuck out with me. And I have felt such a close relationship with all of them for different ways. And I'm so thankful for all of them."
Aiken was named the 2020 Gatorade State Player of the Year for Softball even though she didn't pitch one inning for Glen Allen last season because of the pandemic.
She had a dominant sophomore season for the Jaguars in the circle, as she posted an 18-3 record with a 0.48 ERA with 304 strikeouts in just 144 innings. She had 12 shutouts, seven no-hitters and two perfect games.
Aiken is ready to join her Glen Allen teammates again and cherish this season like never before.
"I'm so excited because it was cut so short last year," Aiken mentioned. "I really took for granted my team and we didn't realize how this would affect everything. And so I think I would be so grateful just to get another season with them."
