Troy graduate Marlee Stanton is no stranger to success on the softball diamond. That was true in high school, and it's proven to be just as true in college as the the freshman helped the Red Barons to a 35-6 regular season schedule, and a trip to the NJCAA Division-III Softball World Series.

"It feels really good doing as well as we did and making it that far," said Stanton. "It shows us the potential that we have and helps us set new goals for next season. I’m excited to meet our new freshman class and see if we can do as well, if not better than we did this year."

The team won the Region-III A Championship title to advance to the World Series with four straight wins - beating Genessee Community College 7-4 and 19-4 in the semifinals, then defeating Jefferson Community College 4-1 and 10-1 in the finals.

During that stretch Stanton went 9-for-14 with 5-RBI, a double, and six runs scored. On the year she hit .341 with 12 doubles and 28-RBI.

"Making it to the Region-III Championship was a goal we set for ourselves in the beginning of the season," Stanton remarked. "It felt really good to win that as a team and that title punched our ticket to nationals."

In the opening game of the World Series Corning won 11-9 over Rowan College as Stanton went 1-3 with a home run and 3-RBI.

However, they lost the next two, falling to North Dakota State College of Science 11-0, then losing to Joliet Junior College 13-3.

Corning ended things on a high note with a 3-1 win over Erie Community College in the fifth place game.

"It was exciting and something that not a lot of athletes get to experience," said Stanton. "The atmosphere and environment was something I was excited to be a part of and I know my teammates felt the same. We were all trying to take in every moment and just be grateful that we got the opportunity to play in a College World Series."

Stanton made sure to take in everything as they enjoyed the ride.

"Definitely the wins," she said about some of her memories. "The big plays, my first collegiate home run at the national tournament. But my favorite memories are the ones I shared with my new teammates and friends on and off the field. Practices, games, bus rides, hotel stays, all of the new relationships made the season 10-times better. We are definitely a Red Baron Family and I can’t wait to meet all our new recruits that can be apart of those memories next year."

The Trojan also spent much of the time learning about softball as she did building relationships.

"The biggest difference between high school and college is the softball knowledge you gain," explained Stanton. "You learn different things about the game that a lot of people don’t think about, especially how the mental game is just as important as your physical performance. Our coaches obviously focus on our physical abilities but they also spend a lot of time building our softball IQ."

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