Surrounded by her family, teammates and coaches, Raylee Barwick sat in Porters Chapel Academy’s library and signed the paper that officially made her a member of the Hinds Community College softball program.

It was a moment similar to the ones that take place every year in school libraries across Mississippi, but one that had become uncommon at PCA. When she signed on Tuesday, Barwick became the first softball player from the school in 11 years to earn a college scholarship.

“That’s awesome. I didn’t realize that,” a stunned Barwick said, when told she was the first PCA player since Lauren Johnson in 2004 to go on to the next level. “That’s amazing. That’s breathtaking.”

Even though she’s coming from a program without much of a pedigree, Barwick did plenty to get on the radar of college scouts. She hit .489 with 14 RBIs as a junior, nearly .400 as a senior, and also excelled while playing for her Monroe, La.-based travel team The Heat.

Barwick had scholarship offers or interest from several junior colleges as well as four-year programs at Centenary and Louisiana College. Once Hinds got in the game, however, Barwick said she was sold. She had a comfort level with both the players and program, she said, and the new $1.2-million softball stadium that will open this spring was also a selling point.

Barwick verbally committed to Hinds in October and never thought twice about going somewhere else.

“I’m a home body,” she said with a laugh, “and Coach G (Mike Grzanich) is really nice. I know a lot of the girls on the team, too. I went to school with Lawren Boolos and played travel ball with Faith Thomas. I wanted to go to Hinds for a long time. The people I knew there said it’s a welcoming program.”

Barwick played shortstop for Porters Chapel and center field for The Heat. She said Hinds plans to use her as an outfielder, and Heat coach Rory Gresham said Barwick has the skills to play nearly any position.

“She works real hard. She’s real determined and she gives you everything she’s got,” Gresham said. “She has a very good bat. She’s a very good fielder, has good control on her throws. She can play infield and outfield. It’s not just one thing. She’s got a lot of faces to her game.”

Like a lot of successful players, Barwick started playing softball almost as soon as she could walk. Her father, Greg, said it wasn’t long after that Raylee started talking about playing in college. Now, she’ll get the opportunity.

“She told us even since she was 5 or 6 years old that this was what she wanted to do,” Greg Barwick said. “She’s a very goal-oriented person. She strives to be the best.”