On Tuesday afternoon, Aaliyah Wilcox signed her National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play softball at Texas A&M Commerce. The signing to the Lions softball program comes after a strong senior season for Wilcox.

Wilcox had her signing inside the auditorium at Newton High School

Following the signing, Wilcox spoke about the emotions of the day and how it felt to have her NLI official.

“Right now it is just excitement and passion, I am ready to fill in those big shoes,” Wilcox. “I never thought I would go to a D1 school, but my coach [Tucker-Smith] proved to me that I could so it is just happiness and desire to go.”

During the ceremony, Wilcox sat alongside her family with her players and coaches in attendance.

Wilcox discussed how much the Lady Rams softball program meant to her. When discussing the relationship between herself and head coach Virginia  Tucker-Smith, Wilcox began shedding tears.

When assessing schools, Texas A&M Commerce’s goals and values aligned with what Wilcox was looking for.

“Everything is about family [at Texas A&M Commerce],” Wilcox said. “ At most schools you go to, it is hard to balance family, school and social life. They were all about study hall being the main thing and that drew me in. There is no bad energy on the team at all, they never made me feel left out on my visit.”

In her senior season, Wilcox finished as an All-Region Honorable Mention for Region 4-AAAAAAA. Wilcox finished with a .301 batting average on the year. She drove in 18 runs on 22 hits while drilling six home runs.

Now that her senior year at Newton is behind her, Wilcox will finish her travel ball season before she looks to make an immediate impact for the Lions.

“They will get a captain,” Wilcox said. “That is the mindset, I want to start when I get there. I want to be a captain off and on the field. I want to lead with my grades and maintain a good GPA. I want to be that good teammate.”