Latest signees comprise small, but versatile group

On one of the now numerous signing days and periods, Mullen’s latest contribution to the next level was a three-spot of student-athletes from each of the fall, winter and spring seasons in a ceremony at Hutchison Fieldhouse.

Nick Cito (basketball), Jessica Hafey (softball) and Reggie Parris (baseball) took pen and paper in hand, had others take their photographs and enjoyed the opportunity to consume sheet cake and water with family, friends and school folks.

Call it a well-rounded day.

From the fall, which will run into the football championships in early December, Hafey recently declared to CSU-Pueblo. Strong at third base, her season produced a .455 batting average with 20 runs batted in, notably a 13-for-22 postseason with seven runs scored and nine RBIs as the Mustangs made the Class 4A semifinals.

“it just felt right,” Hafey said. “ I enjoyed the coach and liked the campus so much.”

Anesthesiology or dermatology will be her academic targets.
For Cito, who will have his season begin practice on Friday, it’s Concordia, Neb. Actually securing his spot, he said, “was amazing and I’ve been working for it for a long time.”

He said his next campus, Seward, Neb., “is kind of like Mullen, but a little bigger and open, with nice facilities.”

The 5-foot-9, 140-pound guard averaged 4.5 points in the 2016-17 season and is interested in business/marketing.

For Parris, a self-described “late bloomer, ” the left-handed pitcher said he had to ask himself a question.

“If baseball doesn’t work out, where do I want to be?”

The answer was San Diego. At 6-3,180 and determined to be heavier by the beginning of the spring season in March, Parris said he has been working “on little things that would build to big things,” such as hip drive. The Mustangs were 10-10 last spring with Parris 3-2 in a team-leading 10 appearances and a 3.20 earned-run average.

He added science or mathematics probably will be in his studies on the next level and will wait to choose a field.