By Austin Bishop
The Star-Herald
KOSCIUSKO —
Sydney Rawson had mentioned to her parents she would really like to see a "good" college softball game.
So, for her 13th birthday Sydney's parents made that dream could true — and then some.
During a birthday celebration on May 4th in the Kosciusko High School softball field house, Steve and Julie Rawson presented their daughter with complete tournament tickets to the Softball College World Series that is played annually in Oklahoma City.
"She said she wanted to see a good softball game, so we thought it doesn't get any better than that," Julie Rawson said.
And to top it off, Sydney got to take two of her friends — Miranda Lindsey and Kali Roberts — with her.
"The whole thing was exciting," Sydney said. "Probably what I liked the best was getting to see the games, but I got to meet a lot of the players and get some autographs." She and her friends also picked up a couple foul balls during the event.
And she did more than just watch softball while she was there. Rawson took part in a softball tournament with a travel team from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and wound up finishing second in the 18-team tournament.
"We were able to watch all but three of the games," Sydney said of the Women's CWS. "I was impressed at how fast they were and how far they could hit the ball. It's something I'll always remember."
While the Rawsons were pulling for the SEC teams in the tournament, Sydney's favorite team by far was the University of Georgia.
"I like them mostly because of Taylor Schlopy," Sydney said of Georgia's junior star. "She is really quick. My dad always tells me 'you have to be as fast as Taylor Schlopy.' She is kind of an inspiration to me when I get into slumps and stuff."
The tournament began on Thursday, June 3, and ended on Tuesday, June 8, when UCLA beat Arizona 15-8.
Before that final game on Tuesday, Sydney, her parents and her friends took time out to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial.
"It was really moving," said Julie Rawson. "We only had a few hours to spend, but we could have stayed all day. It's just really hard to explain. You have to see it for yourself."
Now that Sydney's 13th birthday is out of the way, the Rawsons have one more to be working on. Their youngest child, Landon, is 9.
"I don't know exactly what, but I'm sure we'll come up with something," said Julie Rawson with a smile.
