Softball: M-W's Brianna Roberts thrilled with college change to Binghamton
Brianna Roberts is going to be a strong candidate for the New York State softball player of the year, and now she’s going to keep her talents right here in the Empire State.
The Monroe-Woodbury pitching standout recently decided to decommit from playing for Kennesaw State, an Atlantic Sun Conference program on the outskirts of Atlanta.
“I really felt that it was a little too far for me,’’ she said. “I’m a homebody and I love my family support system.’’
Following a whirlwind second recruiting process, Roberts decided to play for Binghamton University of the America East Conference.
“When I got to Binghamton I met three amazing coaches that I connected with right away,’’ she said. “I knew this could be my home for the next four years.’’
It also helps that her brother is going to Binghamton, as well as her Monroe-Woodbury catcher, Emma Lawson. “Having my catcher for the next four years, too, is like surreal and I’m so excited for that,’’ Brianna said.
The decision to switch colleges had been weighing on her for some time.
“I really think it was as it got down to getting closer to go to college, I realized how much I enjoy Northeast softball and how much I enjoy being closer to home,’’ she said.
So on the first weekend of May, she called the Kennesaw coaches and informed them she would not be coming.
“It was that was probably one of the hardest conversations I've had to have because I don't like going back on my word,’’ she said.
“Brianna was really struggling, feeling like Kennesaw wasn’t the right fit for her, with it being 13 hours away,’’ said M-W coach Penny Roberts, Brianna’s mother. “There were other factors but that was the major one, and it was causing her an immense amount of anxiety.
“But because she gave her word to the coach in committing there she really struggled with decommitting. So this decision took a long time for her to finally make. Once she made it, she was very relieved and we began the search for a program that would take her this late.’’
The Roberts family kept the new recruiting process quiet. “I reached out to a couple coaches that I really wanted to look at their school and that’s how it came to fruition,’’ Brianna said. She made her choice known in the days leading up to the Section 9 Class AA finals – Monroe-Woodbury beat Warwick for the crown.
“I think (going to Binghamton) was the best decision for me and it wasn’t an easy one,’’ Brianna said. “But I had to put my happiness before anything else.’’
Binghamton finished 22-23 this season. The Bearcats were 7-8 in America East play, placing fifth, and split four games in the AE tournament. Binghamton won the 2015 AE tournament and 2016 and 2017 regular-season titles.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
State softball Final Four
Saturday, at Moriches Athletic Complex
Class AA: Semifinal, Monroe-Woodbury vs. Lancaster (Section 6), 9 a.m.; Final, vs. Liverpool (3) or Massapequa (8), 1:30 p.m.
Class B: Semifinal, Marlboro vs. Chenango Valley (4), 1:30 p.m.; Final, vs. Depew (6) or Ichabod Crane (2), 5 p.m.
Class C: Semifinal, S.S. Seward vs. Greene (4), 9 a.m.; Final, vs. Avon (5) or Greenwich (2), 1:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Monroe Woodbury pitcher Brianna Roberts Binghamton Kennesaw State
