Gerald Thomas III | Special to the TimesSurrounded by teammates, coaches and family members, Lowndes slugger Tori Hedgecock signed her letter of intent to continue her academic and softball career at Mercer University on Friday.

VALDOSTA –– Mercer University softball will be getting a decorated athlete in the fold next season.

On Friday, surrounded by teammates, coaches and family members, Lowndes slugger Tori Hedgecock signed her letter of intent to continue her academic and softball career with the Bears.

Hedgecock has had the riches of in-season awards over her four-year career with the Vikettes –– 2019 and 2020 Region Player of the Year, First Team All-State, GACA All-Star and a Silver Slugger.

In Hedgecock’s junior year, she set the home run record.

In her senior year, she posted a .487 batting average with 58 hits, and only struck out three times all season as the Vikettes made it to the Elite Eight.

Mercer’s medicine program and outstanding academia were the leading forces behind Hedgecock’s decision to head to Macon.

“I want to get into the field of medicine and that’s probably one of the best schools for it,” she said. “Mercer is high academically and it’s better for me far more than softball.”

Hedgecock will never forget about the family feel of Lowndes. As she heads to Mercer in the fall, she wants to represent the spirit of her alma mater to create a legacy.

“One thing that stands out about Lowndes is that we’re One Lowndes,” Hedgecock said. “We’re a family and that’s what I love so much about here. These are my sisters, and the coaches are my parents.”

Vikettes head coach Stewart Thomas has high expectations for Hedgecock, though he is certainly sad to see her go.

“It’s a bittersweet day,” Thomas said at the signing day. “It’s always great to see players like Tori achieve their goals, but at the same time, you hate to see players leave as well. The Hedgecock family has been around for a long time and Tori and her sister have made me look like an outstanding coach. I am very excited for her. She knows that’s going to be a place that when she gets a degree, she’s going to be very successful.”

Tori’s sister, Rylin, played softball at Lowndes before graduating in 2019. Rylin is currently a redshirt freshman at the University of Arkansas, where she is a utility player for the Razorbacks.

Thomas wants Hedgecock to succeed through whatever hardships that come her way at Mercer. He wants her to be patient, but compete at the same time in hopes for early burn on the diamond.

“I want her to work while she waits and persevere,” Thomas said. “But I also want her to compete to play early. Mercer’s getting a great player and I feel that she can contribute very early just like she did here.”

The Bears softball team were 10-17 in the 2020 season before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the remainder of the season.