Tara Jeffrey/The Independent

Sydney Nisbet’s love for baseball and her belief in where it could take her has paid off with a scholarship and the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Corunna teen has committed to Kentucky State University, where she’ll join the Thorobreds women’s softball team this fall as a second baseman and catcher.

“I’m really excited about this — it’s a huge opportunity,” said Nisbet, admitting the news is still sinking in.
The 18-year-old St. Pat’s student says she fell in love with the sport more than a decade ago, first playing with the Corunna Lady Giants.

“I had so much fun and loved it so much — I just couldn’t get enough,” Nisbet recalls. “I was excited about everything: the practices, the games, and being around my friends.”

In 2018, Nisbet and her U10 Lady Giants team won the program’s first-ever provincial title, alongside her dad and coach, Jason Nisbet.

“After that year, I knew — this was more important to me than anything else,” she said.
She later moved on to play in Chatham, where she and her dad helped lead the Golden Eagles to gold at the Eastern Canadian U15 Girls’ Softball Championships in 2022.

“I’m a really competitive person — I hate losing,” she said with a laugh. “I hate losing more than I like winning, and I get that from my dad… but it makes me a better athlete.”

When the team needed a catcher, Nisbet — typically an infielder — didn’t hesitate.

“I was like, ‘sure, I’ll do it.’”

Two years later, at 16, Nisbet earned a spot at the USSSA Michigan Fastpitch All-State Games in Canton — an experience that pushed her to take the next step, joining the Tennessee Mojo Fastpitch team based in Brighton, Mich.

“We’d practice on Tuesdays, so I’d leave right from school and get home around 10:30 p.m.,” she said. “I’ve definitely had to give up a lot, but it’s worth it in the long run.”

This past year, she joined Unity Great Lakes, a competitive U18 team, in hopes of gaining more exposure.

“You want to start reaching out to [college] coaches early,” Nisbet said, explaining how she began contacting US programs last summer.

While she connected with a few schools in the fall, nothing quite clicked. With a tournament in Kentucky approaching, she took a chance — emailing Kentucky State coaches and inviting them to watch her play. That eventually led to a call with head coach David Morton.

“He told me about his program and the history of the school, and I was just amazed,” she said. “So happy and so excited.”

A tournament in Florida last November gave her the chance to visit campus in person — and that sealed it.

“I fell in love. I loved the coaches, the facilities, the staff — the players were so nice. It just felt right.”
Although a few other schools expressed interest, Nisbet knew where she wanted to be.
She was accepted to Kentucky State in January and, a month later, officially committed to the Thorobreds women’s softball team.

“I was shocked,” she said, recalling the moment she received the email at school. “I had no words — just shocked.”

Her dad picked her up, she called her Nana — one of her biggest supporters — and then went straight to her mom Erin’s work to share the news.

“I was just crying because I was so excited. It took a big stress off my shoulders,” she said, noting that her family is her biggest support system.

“I keep saying, ‘it’s not that important,’” Nisbet said modestly. “I just don’t like being the centre of attention.”

Then her dad reminds her otherwise. “You’re the first Corunna Lady Giant to do this — it’s pretty important.”

Nisbet, who also danced and played hockey growing up, plans to major in psychology — focusing on early childhood development — with a minor in business when she heads to Kentucky State this fall.

While her competitive drive hasn’t changed, her goals go beyond winning.

“Of course, I want to win a conference with Kentucky State and have a strong season,” she said.

“But I also want to grow as a person and an athlete — to be someone coach Morton can rely on to give 110 per cent, on and off the field.

“I want to be the kind of teammate people gravitate toward,” she added. “I’m that person for my friends, and I want to be that same person on the field.”

Nisbet smiles when asked about her journey to becoming a confident, strong athlete — and now, a role model.

“I know this is a big deal. It’s a lot of pressure, but I think pressure is a privilege,” she said.

“It’s exciting to think there might be people looking up to me — seeing that I was once where they are, and believing that if I can do it, they can too.”