Harrison takes on the diamond
For most dual-sport athletes, it’s hard to balance both sports and even more difficult when you’re a standout athlete in both. Still, there are some positives.
“My screen time [on my phone] is really low now, so that helps,” Mariah Harrison said with a laugh.
Mariah Harrison, a newcomer on the Troy softball team, knows a thing or two, or even four, about championships.
The freshman utility player arrived from Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, a place she left a lasting impact on.
Harrison was a standout member of the Red Devils softball team but was also a notable star on the school’s flag football team. So notable in fact, that she was named one of just five finalists for the inaugural MaxPreps National Flag Football Player of the Year award in 2025.
“It was difficult at times,” Harrison said about balancing her two sports. “I had to be disciplined.
“It was really hard, still is really hard, picking and choosing to do what I need to do over what I want to do.”
Besides being a finalist, Harrison won three state championships plus a national championship. That equals a total of four championships in three years of high school.
“It was amazing,” Harrison said about the championships. “It was the best thing being with the girls and the team every year.
“Every day I always wanted to go to practice. It was fun, but we also got our work done; we were able to flip on the switch. We’d dance to the music that was playing but then when it’s time, we’re focused and we’re still ready to win.”
All those accomplishments, for a sport Harrison said isn’t her main sport. Shifting to the diamond, the freshman finished her four-year high school career with a .358 batting average with 386 hits.
When it came to choosing which of her two sports to pursue at the next level, Harrison knew she had to go with her first love.
“I’ve been playing [softball] since I was three, and I just fell in love with the sport,” Harrison said. “I just love it, even though we fail, I love to learn from it.
“One of the key memories from when I fell in love with the sport was when we were playing a big school that normally wins state championships. The adrenaline was rushing, and I kind of wanted to throw up a little bit, but I was so excited. I just took a second and was like, ‘Wow I really love this feeling.’”
Now, after an illustrious career at Central, Harrison comes two hours up the road to Troy. Even though it’s her first semester as a Trojan, the Phenix City star feels right at home in the cardinal and white.
“Coach Newell has a big Christian background, and he recruits girls that follow that,” Harrison said. “It really made me feel like I was at home.
“The girls were also really nice when I came on all my visits.”
For Harrison, there’s already a couple of familiar faces around. Some might be in places you wouldn’t fully expect, like the Troy Athletics creative department, including Mia Bell, a junior graphic design student and intern.
“It’s really cool she was a junior when I was in school,” Harrison said. “I knew her for two years, and she was so nice.
“She’s a great photographer, so it’s so cool that I get to see her sometimes.”
Of course, as a freshman, there comes a little bit of a learning curve. For Harrison, though, she knows what her ambitions are.
“I want to have grace with myself,” Harrison said. “I want to do good, and everybody always wants to do good, but I also have to remember that this is a sport that I love.
“And remember that, especially with softball, it’s a lot of failures, so I have to remember that I enjoy it and the sport.”
Pushing and persevering through failures is something everyone can take from Harrison’s book. The freshman and her teammates just finished up the fall ball slate before preparing over the winter for the spring season.
The Troy softball team returns to the diamond on Feb. 12 for the Nicholls Tournament in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The tournament, held by Nicholls State, has not yet released a schedule with the Trojans opponent TBA.
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