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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

For the past four softball seasons, LaGrange High’s Camden Smith has been making life difficult for opposing hitters.

When her time in high school is done, Smith will try to continue to dominant opposing lineups on the college level.

Smith, who is in the midst of a stellar senior season, has made a verbal committment to join the softball program at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, and she’ll make it official during a signing ceremony later this year.

Smith had plenty of options when it came to choosing a college home, and she felt West Georgia was the best bit for her.

“It’s close to home, but it’s far enough away that I get the experience of being away from home, and I love everything about the softball program,” Smith said after Tuesday’s 18-0 win over Jordan. “I love the girls, and I love the coach (Al Thomas). He’s great.”

Smith, who has had her eye on West Georgia for a while, is grateful to have this decision behind her.

“Now that I know I have a place after here and I don’t have to worry about where I’m going, it feels great,” Smith said.

While softball is a fall sport on the high-school level in Georgia, it is played during the spring in college, so Smith will have to wait until February of 2022 to play her first official game at West Georgia.

In the meantime, Smith will concentrate on trying to make the most of her final season of what has been a spectacular prep career.

With plenty of softball left to play, Smith has record of 53-19 over the past four seasons, and she has a career earned run average around 2.00.

Last season, Smith went 18-4 with a 2.11 ERA while helping LaGrange reach the state finals in Columbus for the first time in more than a decade.

This season, Smith is 9-6 with a 1.52 ERA, and she’s coming off a lock-down performance in a 6-0 victory over Central-Carroll on Monday.

“I feel like that’s the best I’ve thrown all season,” Smith said.

LaGrange has reached the tail end of the regular season with six games remaining, including a showdown with Troup next Thursday that will likely determine the number one seed for the Region 2-AAAA tournament.

The top four finishers in the region tournament qualify for the 32-team state playoffs.