Francis Marion University Athletics

FMU: 2-year returning starter....Earned the Mathematics Award at the university's 2022 Academic Awards Day ceremony....Conference Carolinas Spring Academic All-Conference Team 2022....PBC Team of Academic Distinction 2021....Started all 32 games behind the plate as a sophomore....Led team in on-base percentage (.423) and was second in hitting (.292), runs scored (20), and steals (6)....Ranked second in the Peach Belt Conference for runners caught stealing (9)....2021 Pre-Season All-PBC Team (as C)....Started all 27 contests behind the plate as a freshman....9 multi-hit games and a team-leading 9 multi-RBI games....Led team with 29 runs scored, 3 homers, and 34 RBIs....More walks than strikeouts (9/6)....NCAA national rankings: 3rd in RBIs and 5th in triples....Ended the 2020 season having reached base safely in the last 20 contests....PBC rankings: 1st in RBIs and triples, 3rd in HBPs, 4th in runs per game, 8th in doubles, 12th in stolen bases....Batted .552 with runners in scoring position....13 2-out RBIs....Threw out 4 of 22 runners attempting to steal....A driven individual.....Can’t wait to see how she does in our program....An excellent student....Hard worker on the field.....Will add to our offense, while also possessing a very strong defensive skill set.....Will compete for time behind the plate, where she has all the tools, as well as possibly in the outfield....Part of the FMU Honors College....Chi Alpha Sigma national college athlete honor society....NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete 2021, 2022....Kappa Mu Epsilon national mathematics honor society....Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society....Member of the Math Club....Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award 2021, 2022....Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll 2021....FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll 2019 (fall), 2020 (spring, fall), 2021 (spring, fall), 2022 (spring)....Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll 2022.

PERSONAL:

• Born Sarah Elizabeth Harkins in Charlotte, NC
• A graduate of Parkwood High School, where she played under the direction of coaches Tim Speakman, Toby Ruth, and Mary Hughes
• As a junior, batted .349 with 11 runs scored, a homer, 11 runs batted in, and a .491 on-base percentage
• During her sophomore season, she hit .480 with 24 runs, three homers, and 20 RBIs
• A-Honor Roll student
• Member of both the National Honor Society and the Beta Club
• 2018 nominee for the Governors School
• Nickname is Shark

PERSONAL FAVORITES:

• As a child what you wanted to be when you grew up:  Veterinarian 
• How you got your nickname: It’s the first letter of my first name and the first four letters of my last name
• Favorite Superhero: Iron Man
• Favorite Movie or TV Show:   Scandal
• Favorite Food:  Ravioli
• Favorite Vacation Spot:  Jekyll Island, GA
• Favorite Thing About FMU: The trees and flowering bushes along the sidewalks and the math lounge  
• Favorite Off-Field/court Activity:  Eating 
• Goals for Upcoming Season: I want to take extra bases in as many opportunities that are possible and to be a leader vocally and by example on and off the field
• Why you first chose your sport: My mom saw a poster for softball signups in elementary school and asked if I wanted to try it  
• Biggest mental challenge in your sport: Overcoming failure on a sport where failure happens 7 times out of 10  
• Interesting Notes: I was the valedictorian of my class in high school and I earned my associates degree in high school