WEBB CITY, Mo. — Three Webb City High School seniors made their college decisions official on Wednesday afternoon inside the Cardinal Dome.
Eli Goddard signed to play baseball at Missouri Southern, while Danecca Heffren and Rachael Drum signed to play tennis at Evangel University.
Goddard noted Southern just felt right.
“When I went on my visit I felt real comfortable there,” Goddard said. “The coaching staff made me feel at home. I loved the campus. I fell in love with baseball at a young age, so I’ve always wanted to play at the next level. I’m glad I’m able to do that. This means a lot to me.”
Goddard will join classmates Treghan Parker and Cole Gayman at MSSU, where they’ll play for Bryce Darnell.
“It will be fun to keep playing with them,” Goddard said.
Goddard, who is the starting catcher who also pitches for Flave Darnell’s Cardinals, will focus on pitching at the next level.
“I just want to keep getting better,” said Goddard, who was also a key performer for Webb City’s football team.
Heffren and Drum both said they’re pleased they’ll be able to continue to compete in the sport they’ve grown to love.
“I fell in love with this sport,” Heffren said. “It started out as something to do for fun. As I kept playing through the years, I grew to love it a lot. Now I have a passion for it.”
“I’ve only been playing tennis for about two years and I’ve worked really hard to be able to do this,” Drum said. “It’s a big accomplishment. I’m super excited.”
Evangel’s close proximity played a factor for both athletes.
“I really fell in love with Evangel,” Heffren said. “It’s far enough, but still close to home.”
“It’s super close to home,” Drum added. “It’s perfect.”
