Tuscola's Faith Caldwell signs with Milligan University
Nov. 17—Tuscola senior Faith Caldwell signed her letter of intent to continue her academic and softball career after graduation at Milligan University in Elizabethton, Tennessee, in front of a packed gymnasium on Nov. 14.
"It was a very big dream, and I never thought I'd actually get here," Caldwell said. "When [Milligan] presented me with the opportunity to play softball, I knew I had to take it because the Lord was telling me that was the place to be."
Caldwell was a team captain this past season who's been on varsity since her freshman year. She was named to the Mountain 7 3A All-Conference team in 2022.
Caldwell was fourth on the team with a 0.370 batting average, hit 11 RBIs (sixth on the team), one home run and scored 18 runs (fifth on the team). She was also the starting pitcher for the Mounties, with an 8-7 record, a 2.71 ERA and 89 Ks over 80 innings.
Her head coach, Lindsay Markos, said Milligan is getting a hard worker who sets goals and will do anything to achieve them.
"She goes above and beyond all the time. She's one of the few calling me weekly about staying after and putting in extra work. They're getting someone who can play any position and bat anywhere in the lineup. She'll work hard for herself and her teammates," Markos said.
Caldwell's father, Mark Caldwell, coached her in travel softball.
"It's been a great ride," he said. "It's been a privilege for us, and we're looking forward to the next level."
Her mother, Lyne Caldwell, also played prep softball and volleyball.
"We're blessed that God chose to place her where he placed her," she said.
Milligan is a private Christian school with just over 1,300 students. The Buffaloes compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics's Appalachian Athletic Conference.
Mark Caldwell said he was very impressed with the Milligan staff, and his wife Lyne Caldwell said she "loved the campus" and "loved the treatment she'll be getting."
Caldwell said it was a home run when she visited Mulligan's campus.
"When I walked on campus, it felt like home," she said. "[Milligan] plays fast-pitch softball, also. They've taught me so much in the short time I've known them."
Caldwell intends to take a few things her parents taught her when she moves to Elizabethton.
"I'm going to take the dedication they taught me. They've taught me to never give up and to trust in the Lord, always," she said.
Caldwell, who has a 4.1875 GPA, plans to major in business, focusing on accounting or financial analytics.
