SPARTA – Softball has already taken Savannah Fitzpatrick so many places.
But the next place it will take her is probably the most exciting of them all. The Highland senior will be attending Harvard University where she play softball.
“I’ve waited a long time for this and I’m so glad to finally have the opportunity to have my signing,” Fitzpatrick said. “At Harvard, I am planning on concentrating in psychology. My goal is to go to law school and become an attorney. Harvard doesn’t have a pre-law program and you don’t need a law undergrad to get into law school.
“Psychology is something that I’ve found that I really enjoy through CCP (College Credit Plus) classes. I’ve been taking CCP classes at Ohio State since freshman year.”
Highland coach Shelly Hornsby was not at all surprised that Fitzpatrick was given this opportunity.
“She’s a very dedicated, motivated individual,” Hornsby said. “She shows great leadership on and off the field. She works very hard — not only during season but in the offseason. She plays a lot of travel ball. She’s pretty much dedicated her life to the sport and it definitely shows. As her coach, I think she’s a great example of what a student athlete should look like.”
Originally interested in staying in-state for college, Fitzpatrick did well on an ACT test as a freshman. She took the advice of her travel ball coach, Matthew Helbling, and began looking at Ivy League schools. She started visiting schools during the fall of her junior year. She was offered a spot on the team by Harvard during one of those visits and accepted the offer that December.
Helding coached Fitzpatrick with the Beverly Bandits, a national travel ball team. There, Fitzpatrick played all across the country.
“I had a blast,” Fitzpatrick said. “Getting to see different parts of the country and play the sport that I love could not be a better combo.”
This summer, Fitzpatrick will get to do it all over again for the Louisville Sluggers.
At Highland, Fitzpatrick has been played mostly at second base and in the outfield. She missed out on her junior season with the Scots because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She reads the ball,” Hornsby said. “She’s very alert and knows where others should be and what the runners are doing. She just has a great ability to play the game that she loves.”
This season, she’ll get to play the position she most loves: catcher.
“(Playing in the field) has helped me see the game from different angles, which helps me as a catcher understand where people are going to be,” Fitzpatrick said. “Catching is my favorite thing to do, and being able to do it at the high school level with all my friends that I’ve known since I was little is just a really great feeling. It’s kind of like putting all the pieces together, in my opinion.”
It was her academics that got her to Harvard as much as her athletics.
“Her academics are phenomenal,” Hornsby said. “She’s been on a robotics team that has gone very far to state. All around, a very solid individual. I know she’s extremely excited about going to Harvard and meeting her goals there.”
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that Fitzpatrick accepted an athletic scholarship to play at Harvard. Harvard does not offer athletic or academic scholarships. The story has been corrected to reflect that change.
