Liz Murphy and Courtney De Adder have been playing softball together since they were five.
Now, after years countless tournaments, hundreds of long car rides and far more wins than losses, the two will be saying goodbye to each other in the fall of 2016.
Murphy just signed her letter of intent to play NCAA Division l fastpitch at the University of Detroit Mercy while De Adder officially signed to play NCAA Division 2 with Simon Fraser University.
While both admitted it will be strange not seeing each next season.
“It was hard knowing I was going so far away and leaving my family and friends,” said Murphy, a who pitched for the Canadian Junior Nationals in Oklahoma in August, helping lead the team to fourth place, its best showing at the tournament since 1981. “But it’s such a strong program and knowing I’m going to a division 1 school has always been my dream.”
For De Adder, the choice to go to SFU made sense on two levels. The infielder had a strong desire to play NCAA and take university French. SFU filled both those needs.
De Adder, teammates with Murphy on the White Rock Renegades U18 Gold team, also won a gold with Team B.C. at the Western Canada Summer Games.
Both players know none of their success is possible without their parents. She said that’s another reason Detroit was high on her list.
The access from Toronto makes family visits more realistic, said Murphy.
“Knowing I have the support family, I think this will