Makayla Jackson did not start playing softball until she was 12 years old, which is considered a little bit late for an elite player. She showed, though, that it’s never too late to become one.

Jackson is in her fourth season as a starter for Warren Central and there’s plenty of softball still ahead of her. On Thursday the senior outfielder signed to play at Mississippi Delta Community College.

“I’m very excited. I’ve been playing softball since I was in fifth grade and I just really love the sport. I love playing,” Jackson said. “It hasn’t been easy. Most people say I started late because I didn’t start until I was 12, but I just picked up on it really quickly. I just loved it so much.”

Jackson first took an interest in the sport because a friend was playing in the Vicksburg Girls Softball Association. She joined a tournament team the next year when she showed an aptitude for the game and soon began to show some elite potential.

“I joined a tournament team my second year of playing softball and they were big on playing in college. So probably my eighth- or ninth-grade year I knew that I wanted to play in college,” she said.

Jackson has a good blend of speed and defensive ability that she believes has helped her reach the next level. She batted .303 in 56 games over her first three varsity seasons, has 15 stolen bases and four outfield assists.

This season, she has reached base safely in all nine of the Lady Vikes’ games so far and gotten a hit in six of them. The leadoff hitter has walked nine times, stolen 11 bases and scored nine runs.

Jackson played catcher on her VGSA and tournament teams but moved to the outfield when she got to the high school level at Warren Central.

“I like throwing long distances. Longer than 60 feet. I like throwing people out,” she said with a laugh. “I have speed and a really good arm, and I love running bases and stealing bases.”

Jackson added that while playing college softball was a goal in its own right, she picked Mississippi Delta for reasons other than that. She’ll attend the school on a combination academic and athletic scholarship.

“I really like the coach. But they also have a radiology tech program and I want to major in radiology,” she said.