Clinton Central High School senior Kortney Surber officially committed to the University of Saint Francis to play collegiate softball after a stellar academic and athletic career in Clinton County.
– Photo courtesy of Kimberly Deck
Surber, #3, is a centerfielder, short stop and utility player with a batting average of .523, on base percentage of .540 and slugging percentage of 1.102. Outside of the field, Surber also ranks highly amongst the academic crowd, sporting a 4.12 GPA.
Surber has been a long-standing teammate on the Clinton Central softball team, but she has also played for many years for various Indiana travel teams, including beginning her travel experience in 8U for the Howard County Thunder, where she played for two years. Surber has also played for the Indiana Dreams for one year, Indy Edge for three years and Indy Crush for four years.
Surber has received a multitude of softball-related awards throughout her career, including three varsity letters and state recognitions:
- 2018 USSSA Midwest National Championship-Runner Up
- 2019 USSSA National Championships Defensive MVP
- 2021 CCHS Toughness Award
- 2021 Hoosier Heartland Conference Honorable Mention
- 2021, 2022 & 2023 CCHS Varsity Letter
- 2022 CCHS Top Batting Average Award
- 2022 & 2023 Journal & Courier Small School All-Area Team
- 2022 & 2023 Hoosier Heartland All-Conference
- 2023 CCHS Most RBIs Award
- 2023 Clinton County Champions
- 2023 Ranked 5th in the state for RBIs with 63
- 2023 IA/2A Third Team All State
Surber will enter the 2023-2024 with a drive to succeed as she leads her team to a successful season as she looks toward her future at University of Saint Francis where she plans to study Special Education/Behavior Analysis.
“My goal is to obtain a degree that will lead to a career as a BCBA while having the added bonus of playing college softball,” Surber’s personal statement reads. “I will continue to work hard in the classroom and on the softball field so that I can contribute to my team and grow as a person.”
Beyond her softball career, Surber has a lengthy list of awards and activities that prove her in-depth commitment to the Clinton Central community, including:
- National Honor Society
- Athlete Leadership Committee
- Spanish Club
- Prom Committee
- Volleyball, where she received four varsity letters
- Basketball, where she received 3 varsity letters
- 2021 & 2024 IHSAA Basketball Sectional Champions
- 2022 & 2023 CCHS Most Aces Serving Award
- 2022 & 2023 Hoosier Heartland Conference Honorable Mention
- 2023 IHSVCA Academic All-State – Gold
- 2023 Hoosier Heartland All-Conference
- 2023 Hoosier Heartland Academic All-Conference
- Clinton County 2023 All-County First Team
- 2023 CCHS Top Kills Award
- 11/7/2023 The Farmers Bank Player of the Game
- 2023 Union City Holiday Tourney Champions
- 2024 IHSAA Basketball Regional Champions
- 2024 IHSAA Basketball Semi-State Runner Up
Surber is expected to travel across Indiana to Illinois and possibly to Alabama for her upcoming 2024 summer tournaments, including the Top 50 Showcase, Vette City Summer Showcase, Midwest Sparkler Showcase, Savvy Softball Elite Summer Shootout and USSSA National Championship.