Mallory Sanders has left her mark on Wesson softball. A varsity stalwart since her days in junior high, Sanders led the Cobras to the MHSAA 3A semifinals this season with the power of her bat and her pitching ability in the circle.

For her outstanding efforts on the field, Sanders has been named The Daily Leader All-Area Most Valuable Player of the Year for 2023-2024.

Next up for Sanders is NCAA Division I softball, as she signed in November to continue her academic and athletic career at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. 

At Longwood, Sanders will get a chance to compete against the best teams in the country as the Lancers play a loaded schedule that included NCAA World Series qualifiers Alabama, Tennessee, and Duke last season.

Sanders has had a long love affair with softball, traveling all over the country to play the game on the travel circuit as she’s grown up alongside her dad Mark, mom Misty and little sister Maddie.

With her college future secured, Sanders looked like she was having a little extra fun this season as one of only two seniors on the team at Wesson. She even played soccer as a senior and had a strong year playing goalkeeper for the Cobras on the pitch.

At the plate in her senior season of softball, Sanders batted .500 with 31 hits for a 24-6 Wesson team. She slugged seven doubles, three triples and one home run for coach Michelle Nunnery. Sanders drove in 25 runs while batting in the heart of the Wesson order where she also drew a team-high 19 walks.

The 6-foot Sanders has a presence on the field, whether it’s standing at the plate with a bat in her hand or getting set to deliver from the pitching rubber, she looks locked in for every moment.

It was in the circle where Sanders shined the brightest, striking out 259 batters, finishing with a 1.63 ERA, and going 23-5 overall.

She ends her career with over 379 innings pitched, 718 strikeouts and a win/loss record of 60-15.

That’s how you leave a mark as a high school softball standout.