Polk Signs to Play at Concord University

Sophomore softball student-athlete Rachel Polk recently signed to continue her academic and athletic career at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia.

Polk appeared in 23 of CSM's 25 games in 2019. At the plate, she recorded a slash line of .418/.453/.567, had 15 RBIs, and scored 19 runs. While playing shortstop, Polk registered a fielding percentage of .881.

Polk said the decision to attend Concord came to her quickly after stepping on campus.

"Being on campus, I just knew, basically after talking with [Concord's coach] for 30 minutes, this is it, this is the place, this is what I want to do," Polk said.

As for her decision to attend CSM, Polk said that was one she would "110 percent" make again in a heartbeat.

"I am reminded of it day in and day out," Polk said. "There's no doubt in my mind that this was the right place. Otherwise, I was going to rush something and probably be at a four-year that I wasn't a fan of. Anyone in the community asks me, 'Do you like CSM?", 110 percent. I would pick it over and over again every time."

Polk mentioned the athletic staff at CSM will always stick out to her when she looks back on her time at the school.

"The staff in general, all the way around," Polk said. "The athletic staff, they've poured into me a lot, and meant a lot here, so that's always encouraging. I know no matter what I need, any of them have me for it."

Polk said of her current head coach Becca Collins, "Becca is literally probably one of the most influential people that I've ever had in my life, so playing for her just means a lot. She's turned everything softball-wise around for me, which is really encouraging."

Collins also played at Concord, from 2010-13. "I'm super excited," Collins said of Polk's decision to play at Concord. "It's actually the same coach from when I was there so I'm really excited for Rachel to be with her. She was a big part of influencing me to stay with softball and keep coaching and stay with the game. I think Rachel's going to have a great time and really connect with the girls, the team, the program as a whole."

While she is excited about what lies ahead at Concord, Polk said she and her teammates still have a lot to show this year and are ready to get the season underway on March 1.