Shannon Greene, a senior at MHS, signed a national letter of intent last semester to play softball at University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth.

Greene said she looked at Bethel College and Fort Scott Community College, but ultimately chose the closest option.

“I just really liked the campus and it was welcoming and I really liked the coaches,” Greene said.

Greene plans to major in both business and mathematics and then pursue a master’s in sports management.

Before joining the Spires as a college freshman in 2016-17, Greene has one more season with the Bulldogs in the spring as a high school senior.

She hopes to help lead MHS to a third straight Class 2-1A state appearance and more.

“I really want to win a state championship,” Greene said.

MHS fell in the Class quarterfinals in 2014, but came back for another appearance in 2015. The Bulldogs placed third at state, defeating Yates Center, 6-1, before losing to Chase County, 10-0. MHS defeated Moundridge, 6-5, on a walk-off hit for third place in 2-1A. Chase County extended its state-leading winning streak to 92 games with a championship victory against Ell-Saline. MHS ended the season 21-5.

Greene’s two-run, game-winning single in the 2014 regional championship helped McLouth advance to state that year with a 5-4 victory against Valley Falls.

She currently holds the school record for career strikeouts (328) and most perfect games (7). The senior also has 32 career wins. She’s five victories away from that record.

Greene was a first team 2-1A all-state selection as a pitcher in 2015 and has been an all-league selection her first three years of high school. She also was a Lawrence Journal-World first-team all-area selection as a pitcher last year honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore.

She’s involved in National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, Science Olympiad, Scholars Bowl, Yearbook and Forensics.

The McLouth standout is eager to continue her career for two simple reasons.

“Just the love of the sport and having fun with all my teammates,” she said.

USM went 32-20 in 2015, including a 12-8 mark in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Spires were 20-2 at home and finished the year with a 2-1 loss to Ottawa in the KCAC tournament. Saint Mary is an NAIA school.