Hannah McGivern didn’t let her upbringing take away from her signing day moment on Thursday.
McGivern, who grew up in a Kansas Jayhawk household, will don a Missouri Tigers jersey as early as next season, as she signed with the University of Missouri softball program at a signing day ceremony at West Platte High School.
“It was kind of nerve-racking a little bit, but I was excited about it,” McGivern said in a phone interview on Friday. “My family is a die-hard KU family. My dad went to college at KU. So it’ll always be a part of him. But they’re definitely proud of me. They will always joke about it.”
McGivern, who didn’t play for the Bluejays’ high school team, chose Missouri over Clemson and Rockhurst.
“I really liked the coach’s philosophy and everything they had to offer,” McGivern said of Missouri. “They’ll definitely provide me many challenges and I want to be challenged.”
McGivern is a right-handed middle infielder for the Select Fastpitch club team. She batted .423 with eight doubles, three triples, 25 RBI and 14 stolen bases in the 2018 fastpitch season.
Missouri coach Larissa Anderson praised McGivern’s versatility in a press release announcing a seven-player signing class.
“Hannah is an extremely disciplined athlete,” she stated. “She has great speed, great defensive skills, and the ability to play in both the infield and outfield. She’s really excited to come here and prove it.”