Countless pairs of cleats have left their mark on Lehigh’s softball field at Goodman Stadium, but few have achieved the level of recognition that captain and third baseman Morgan Decker has experienced.
On April 5 Morgan Decker was a starter for the 102nd time during her Lehigh career. She is a dedicated athlete, well-admired by her teammates and coaches alike. As early as her freshman year, Decker was seen as a strong asset for Lehigh’s softball program. Since her first year on campus, she has developed as a player even further.
Being named Patriot League Rookie of the Year as well as Rookie of the Year by the Eastern College Athletic Conference indicated Decker as a strong athlete from the onset of her Lehigh career. As a sophomore, she went on to be awarded the Patriot League Triple Crown and led the Patriot League in total bases (101), walks (37), slugging percentage (.711) and on-base percentage (.545). As a current junior, Decker has proven repeatedly to be an invaluable asset to the softball team.
Decker’s goals for the current season are not just individual, but rather, she considers the success of the team as a whole.
“Despite how individual the sport is, everyone’s accomplishments make me so happy,” Decker said. “My goal is for everyone on the team to have their best season. My ultimate hope for the team this season is of course to win Patriots.”
This year, Decker is co-captain of the team alongside senior pitcher/outfielder Emily Bausher.
“As captains, leadership is very important to both Morgan and me,” said Bausher. “Morgan is a leader by example, and speaks out when needed.”
When Decker first set foot on Lehigh’s softball field, she was far from inexperienced. She started playing softball at age 5. She said although she has played for many seasons, she has a special place in her heart for the current softball roster.
“I have never before genuinely had so much fun playing with a group of girls,” Decker said. “I’m not exaggerating when I say that all of my best friends are on the team. We do everything together.”
Now in her third year of studying behavioral neuroscience, Decker said that time management is key to her balance of athletics and academics. She said that being an athlete helps to provide structure to her day and helps her get all her work done. She also cites experience as one of the reasons she is able to balance between the two. Having played softball for nearly her entire life, athletics and academics come as a package for her.
A Pennsylvania native, Decker said the atmosphere at Lehigh was one of her primary reasons for choosing the school. Lehigh had the strongest softball program out of the schools Decker was considering, yet it still maintained a rigorous level of academics. It was the first school that Decker visited during the college application process, and she committed the summer before her senior year.
Having worked with Decker since the beginning of her Lehigh career, coach Fran Troyan has seen first-hand the dedication that makes Decker such a valuable addition to the team.
“Morgan is a great athlete with a great skill set,” Troyan said. “However, it is her competitive nature that is her greatest strength.”
That competitive nature is what has allowed Decker to be such an aggressive player on the field while simultaneously maintaining a strong bond with her teammates. As Decker said, despite the individual focus that is typical of softball players, it is the strong team dynamic that sets the Mountain Hawks apart.
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