WILSON — Northside softball standout, Elyse Brinn has signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her playing career at Barton College following her senior season in Pinetown.

Brinn also plays volleyball for the Panthers, and she finished up her senior season with a trip to the second-round of the NCHSAA state tournament.

Just before the beginning of her senior softball season, she took a trip to Wilson to sign on campus at Barton.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play softball at a higher level. I’m really grateful that I get the opportunity to play after high school,” Brinn said. I fell in love with the campus the first time I visited and it really felt like home. I connected with the team and Coach (Junior) Bailey and I knew it was a great fit for me.”

Last season, Brinn boasted a .464 batting average. She tallied 32 hits with two doubles, a triple and a homerun. She’s scored 34 times and knocked in 14 RBI’s in her junior campaign.

Brinn didn’t mention any stats when talking about her goals for the 2020 season.

“My goals for my senior season are to continue to work on my skills before college, and work on being the best player and teammate I can possibly be.”

Head coach Eric Slade had nothing but good things to say about his senior outfielder’s opportunity to play at the next level.

“Elyse is a very special young lady with a lot of athletic ability. She is a great asset to Northside High School, our community and the Northside softball team,” Slade said. “Through a lot of hard work and dedication, she is getting this opportunity to play at Barton. This is a great honor and she deserves it. We look forward to watching her play as a senior. She will be a key player in the success of Northside softball this year. We hope for great success in her future with school and softball. She is very blessed and we are proud of her and her family for this accomplishment.”

Last season, the Panthers didn’t end their season the way they had hoped. They lost to Vance Charter School in the first-round of the NCHSAA playoffs in Pinetown, so this year’s softball Panthers won’t be short of any motivation heading into the 2020 season.