Philadelphia teenager Mo’ne Davis captivated the country when she became the breakout star of the 2014 Little League World Series as a 13-year-old girl. Now, she’ll be taking her talents to a historically black university.
Her parents told the Philadelphia Tribune that Davis will play softball for Hampton University on a full scholarship next year. She gained celebrity as the first girl to win a Little League World Series game as a pitcher, but she will not take the mound for the Pirates. Hampton’s coach says Davis will play middle infield for the team.
“As you could imagine, she has great hands and a great transfer,” coach Angela Nicholson told the Daily Press. “Hitting-wise, she already has a nice lift on her ball and understands the concept of gap-to-gap. She has great mechanics and she’s fast. She’s very athletic.”
Davis’ performance in the Little League World Series was the talk of the Summer in 2014. Her exploits with Philadelphia’s Taney Youth Baseball Association earned her the cover of Sports Illustrated and an ESPY in 2015 for “Best Breakthrough Athlete.” She has since gone on to star in three sports at Springside Chestnut Academy, where she plays softball, basketball and soccer.
Davis’ parents say the 17-year-old was impressed by Hampton’s communications department. She chose the Pirates over fellow HBCUs Bethune-Cookman and Southern and Coppin State. Davis was also interested in the UPenn and UMass.
