One of nation鈥檚 top softball players, Cierra Harrison, ready to prove potential at Mizzou
LEE鈥橲 SUMMIT, Mo. (BVM) 鈥� Cierra Harrison has quickly become one of the top high school softball players in the nation. While her four seasons of playing softball at that level are done, her career is far from over.
Next fall, Harrison will go on to the next level as she joins the Missouri Tigers. It will be a tremendous achievement for the pitcher who has had to go through some ups and downs throughout her career and life thus far.
Growing up, softball became one of Harrison鈥檚 passions. She got to play alongside her friends, be coached by her dad, and wear No. 42 鈥� which she still does today 鈥� in honor of one of her role models, Jackie Robinson.
鈥淚 liked the grind, just everything about it,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淗aving my teammates with me, having my back and knowing I could go to them for something, I think that was the main thing that attracted me to the sport.鈥�
By age 12, Harrison began playing travel ball. Seeking a new challenge, she soon joined Aces Fastpitch who she still competes for today.
鈥淚 just felt like I needed to be pushed more and if I wanted to get better, I鈥檇 have to go to a different team,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淩ight now, I play for Aces Fastpitch, and joining this team is literally the best move I ever made. They work so hard, the coaches care about you so much, especially getting into the next level. I think that I strive the most when I鈥檓 here.鈥�
The Aces had Harrison ready for high school at Lee鈥檚 Summit North, where she was the only freshman on the school鈥檚 varsity squad in 2018. For Harrison, getting to play with many upperclassmen was a great experience.
鈥淧laying on varsity was the best thing ever,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淚 branched out, got to meet new people. Playing with upperclassmen, letting them teach me how to do the game and how to be on the mound as a freshman, knowing they had my back on and off the field was good. It was a great year, it really got me set up for the rest of my career at Lee鈥檚 Summit North.鈥�
Losing early in the postseason and not being named an all-state player became motivating factors for Harrison going into the 2019 season. Losing many upperclassmen, the Broncos had a different look, but their star pitcher began shining through.
鈥淚t was extremely special,鈥� Harrison said about the 2019 season. 鈥淪ophomore season, I came out and I don鈥檛 think I started with my best stuff at the beginning of the season. But by the end, I was hyped up. We lost a lot of seniors my freshman year, so we had to basically build a whole new team. I got comfortable and just did what I could do for the team.鈥�
After the season, Harrison this time achieved her goal of becoming an MSHSAA Class 5A first team all-state player, boasting a 1.09 ERA. But just as things were looking up, tragedy would strike.聽
In 2020, Harrison鈥檚 father passed away. Her coach growing up and one of her biggest idols on and off the field, it was a devastating loss for both the pitcher and her family.
鈥淗e has been there from the start,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of my biggest role models, I play for him every time I鈥檓 on the field, thinking about him. He鈥檚 another big part of why I still play the game.鈥�
After her father鈥檚 death, Harrison took some time away from softball, and wasn鈥檛 sure she would continue to play the sport. However, if her father was here today, there鈥檚 no doubt he would want to see his daughter playing. Coming to that realization while talking with her mom, Harrison decided to return to the diamond, and continues to honor her father while doing so.
鈥淲hen it first happened, I took a little bit of a break from softball,鈥� Harrison explained. 鈥淚 kind of had to talk back and forth with my mom about if I really wanted to still play the sport and stuff like that. She would always tell me, 鈥業f your dad was here, he would want you to just do everything. Just play the sport and do what you can.鈥�
鈥淚t was very hard for me and my family. I also have a brother who鈥檚 a freshman now, but he took that very hard. Having my dad for as much as we did was great. We just lived out the moment, especially with Covid, no one was really going to work so we got to spend a lot of time with him before he did pass away which was really good. It was really tough, but it pushes me.鈥�
Harrison has continued to look at the positives over the last few years, and on the diamond, she has become even more dominant. As a junior, she helped lead the Broncos all the way to the state championship game as a first team all-state performer once again, recording 15 shutouts and two perfect games. However, Lee鈥檚 Summit North would suffer an absolutely heartbreaking loss at state with Harrison in the circle.
鈥淕oing into the state game, I was super nervous,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淚t was the top of the seventh inning, a girl hits a ball in a 0-0 game in the seventh inning, and our centerfielder trips and falls and she gets a triple. The next girl pops up, and she tags and scores. We lost 1-0, it was a great game. I tip my hat to the pitcher that threw against us, we just couldn鈥檛 get our bats going. It was a great game, I wouldn鈥檛 have wanted to lose any other way.鈥�
While it was a good game, there is no doubt the state loss stung. Still, the 2020 Broncos were one of the best teams Harrison has had a chance to be a part of.
鈥淟osing at state was very tough,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淭hat year, we had all the talent we could have. Every spot was filled, everybody was working at practice. Our road to state was the best thing ever. Everybody got along and we had good team chemistry.鈥�
In her senior season last fall, Harrison dazzled yet again with a 1.04 ERA, continuing to use a dominant rise ball while reaching velocities around 60 mph. Although her team didn鈥檛 get quite as far as they had the year prior, it was still a good way to go out for the star pitcher. As the program鈥檚 all-time wins and strikeouts leader, she knows she and her class left a lasting mark on the program.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 do what we wanted to, but I think we left a mark on Lee鈥檚 Summit North softball,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淚 know a lot of people that haven鈥檛 even wanted to play softball or haven鈥檛 gotten into softball that want to try out for the softball team. We built the foundation of Lee鈥檚 Summit North softball, we built it up.鈥�
Personally, one of the biggest moments for Harrison was earning her 1,000th strikeout during districts. She concluded her Broncos鈥� career with 1,023 strikeouts total.
鈥淎ll my teammates were in the huddle and a couple of people were crying,鈥� Harrison said about the moment of her 1,000th strikeout. 鈥淚 never thought I鈥檇 get to the point of 1,000 strikeouts, it鈥檚 such a big blessing.鈥�
Harrison鈥檚 tremendous play throughout her high school career has not gone unnoticed. She is the No. 16-ranked prospect in her class nationally according to Extra Inning Softball, and the sixth-best pitcher overall.
鈥淚 was just very surprised,鈥� Harrison said about seeing her ranking. 鈥淛ust to be ranked below the top 100 is huge and such a blessing. I honestly wasn鈥檛 expecting it but here we are. It motivates me to get better.鈥�
The top pitcher in the state of Missouri had plenty of college options. But, like five other girls in her signing class, Harrison decided to stay home for college and play for the Mizzou Tigers.
Although she initially had some smaller offers from schools such as Wichita State, Louisiana-Monroe and South Dakota State, it came down to choosing between Missouri and Minnesota 鈥� a school she was also blown away by while visiting.
鈥淚 went to Mizzou and absolutely loved it,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淚 chose Mizzou and it鈥檚 probably the best decision I鈥檒l ever make. I can鈥檛 wait to be at Mizzou. I鈥檓 so excited I鈥檓 staying home and will always see my family.鈥�
A tremendous leader throughout her career thus far, Harrison seems poised to thrive at the next level. A big reason for that is her time with the Aces, and she credits that program for getting her ready for what she will face next season.
鈥淲hen I moved to the Aces, I had to work for my spot,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淭he coaches do a phenomenal job of trying to work to get you to the next level and get you a taste of what it鈥檚 going to be like.鈥�
After college, Harrison sees herself staying involved with softball as a coach, just like her dad was. For now, she will continue honoring his legacy, and will look to represent the entire state of Missouri in a positive light once she takes the field for the Tigers.
鈥淢y biggest goal is to work hard and strive to the top,鈥� Harrison concluded. 鈥淎nother goal would be just to represent Missouri. I鈥檓 from here and I want to represent where I鈥檓 from.鈥�
