Morgan Hill
Not all heroes wear capes.
Some wear scrubs and swing a mean stick like former University of Missouri-St. Louis softball player Morgan Hill of Anchorage.
The 23-year-old next month will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and is eager to begin a career on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Somebody asked me if I was scared and I said, ‘No, I’m not worried. Bring it,’” Hill told me. “I think that’s the athlete in me. My competitive side wants to get in there and help.”
Hill, of East High fame, helped the NCAA D3 Tritons post a 124-70 record over her four seasons with the program. They won two Great Lakes Valley Conference titles and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Her final season was cut short after the NCAA made the unprecedented move of canceling all spring sports championships.
“It’s super sad the way it had to end,” she said.
Hill had a .374 career on-base percentage in 148 games
The outfielder played in 148 career games in St. Louis and batted .276 with a .374 on-base percentage. The left-handed contact hitter knocked in 53 RBIs, scored 52 runs and homered twice.
“I ended my career with a GLVC championship because last year we won and that was the last tournament I participated in unfortunately,” she said.
“I learned a lot as a player and a person. I think I became a better person and learned a lot about myself. Having to sit the bench in the beginning to getting my opportunity and taking advantage. I’m proud of my career.”
Hill will begin the next chapter of her life as a registered nurse once she is certified, but she’s already experienced working at a hospital and she’s already crossed paths with the coronavirus.
She logged her clinical hours as a nursing student at SSM Health DePaul Hospital in St. Louis, where she worked 13 12-hour shifts.
“There was actually a patient at my hospital that had the coronavirus,” Hill said. “Just knowing that they were downstairs was frightening in a way, but it also brought reality into the situation of the professional I chose and how serious it is and how we have to care for people no matter what.”