Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Morgan Ford

Arcata’s Morgan Ford is getting set for a memorable year in softball.

The Tigers junior, who is expected to have a big impact in the Big 5 this spring, has been selected to play for a Team USA 18U roster in Barcelona this summer.

Ford caught the eye of some coaches while playing at a showcase event for her travel team, The Sonoma Stack, and she was recommended for the national roster by Harvard head coach Jenny Allard.

And she admits her emotions got the better of her when she recently received the news.

“This is such an honor for me to wear the uniform,” she said. “It brought tears to my eyes when we got the call.”

Submitted photo

Ford is a two-sport athlete at Arcata High who also is a gifted golfer, and she will join up with her teammates from all over the country for a 10-day trip to the historic Spanish city,

She says that she is equally excited about playing softball overseas, visiting Barcelona and representing her country.

Morgan is a standout pitcher and middle infielder for the Arcata Tigers and will play second base for Team USA.

The trip is organized by an association called America’s Team, which helps young players from all across the United States to play for their country in various sports — softball, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse and baseball — while visiting overseas and learning about foreign countries, as well as the people and cultures there.

Selection is based on playing ability and grades, and Ford is a 4.55 GPA student who plans to study nursing after high school.

The Arcata junior is fundraising for the trip and anyone who would like to help can visit her America’s Team fundraising page.