 A second baseman in high school, Nicole Jordan returned to her favorite infield spot as a PCC sophomore after playing centerfield her first year with the Bulldogs. She's not sure where she will play next season at ECU. |
WINTERVILLE�Pitt Community College softball standout Nicole Jordan, whose.589 batting average in 2007 ranks fifth all-time among NJCAA Division I hitters, will continue her softball career at East Carolina University next season. PCC softball coach Junior Bailey announced on May 22 that Jordan had signed with the Pirates, meaning she will follow in the footsteps of former Bulldog Stacey Andrews, who wrapped up her ECU softball career earlier this month. Bailey said the Pirates are getting a talented, coachable player and an outstanding individual in Jordan, who was an All-Region X Conference First Team selection in each of her two seasons at Pitt. �I loved coaching Nicole and watching her grow as a player and especially as a person,� Bailey said. �She will be greatly missed by her coaches and the teammates she leaves behind at PCC. I�m really glad she will be wearing purple and gold and will be near home at ECU.� Jordan, who signed with Pitt in 2006 out of Jamesville High School, said she has always dreamed of playing Division I softball. She added that playing close to home�Jamesville is 40 minutes away from ECU�will make the experience all the better. As a PCC freshman, Jordan made an immediate impact by going 63-for-107 in 39 games to lead the country in batting average. Though her average dropped in her second season with Pitt, Jordan still batted a solid .307 (43-for-140) with 34 runs batted in. She added 27 stolen bases and a .941 fielding average. �I became a better ballplayer at PCC without question,� Jordan said, adding that she has �a solid foundation� on which to continue building her softball skills at ECU. Bailey said there is no question his team will miss Jordan�s leadership and sense of humor next season. �Nicole is definitely one of the funniest players I have had the privilege of coaching,� he said. �She can take a tense situation and lighten it up instantly. Our team could be in the dumps this season and Nicole could turn it around with some off-the-wall statement.� Looking ahead to next season, Jordan said she wasn�t sure where Pirates Coach Tracey Kee would play her. As a Bulldog, she displayed considerable speed and a reliable glove in centerfield and in limited time as a catcher during her freshman year before playing second base exclusively her sophomore season. �I�m probably most comfortable at second base, which is where I played in high school, but I also found a home in centerfield at PCC,� Jordan said. �That was the first time I had ever played in the outfield in my whole life.� Having just signed with the Pirates, Jordan took a moment to reflect on her PCC career. She said she really enjoyed her Pitt teammates and coaches and the lessons she learned from them. �By playing for Coach Bailey and (Assistant) Coach Mandi Nichols, I really developed a better understanding of the game and how I could improve as a player,� she said. �Coach Bailey and Coach Nichols also had a big influence on my personal life. I�m a better softball player and a better person having played for them at PCC.� Even though she�ll have on a new uniform the next two seasons, Jordan made sure to point out that she would �always be a Bulldog at heart.�
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