Former Palmetto outfielder Sabria Bruton signs with Akron softball

More than two years after the University of South Florida first offered Sabria Bruton a spot on its softball team as a walk-on, Bruton is headed to the Division I ranks.

Bruton chose to attend Pasco-Hernando State College, a junior college in New Port Richey, out of Palmetto High School. Bruton signed with Akron on Wednesday to play out her final two years of eligibility in Ohio.

“I was really just trying to find really any school that was academically suitable and athletically, as well, but I was of course surprised to learn that my efforts had paid off in landing a D-I position,” Bruton said Friday. “It was pretty exciting for me.”

Bruton chose Akron over Florida A&M after a breakthrough sophomore season for Pasco-Hernando State. Bruton batted .342 with eight stolen bases in 36 games for Pasco-Hernando after missing nearly all of her freshman year with a torn labrum.

Bruton first showcased her D-I talent at Palmetto, where she was an All-Area honorable mention by the Herald following her senior season. She had to turn down South Florida’s offer for financial reasons, though, and joined the Conquistadors to earn credits while assessing her future in the sport. Once she got healthy, Bruton placed herself once again on the radar of Division I programs.

Bruton plans to major in exercise science with a concentration in physiology, and Akron’s exercise science program is what prompted her to sign with the Ohio school rather than stay instate.

“Everything didn’t really start falling into place until the end of my second year,” Bruton said. “I was a little unsure in the beginning if I had the physical skills to play at the next level.”

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Former Palmetto outfielder Sabria Bruton signs with Akron softball."