VCHS graduate dominating true freshman season

Mary Talbot
April 2, 2016
Skains leaving Tarpons for Cecilia
April 5, 2016
Mary Talbot
April 2, 2016
Skains leaving Tarpons for Cecilia
April 5, 2016

It surely hasn’t taken Vandebilt Catholic graduate Nora Keehn long to make her mark on the sport of college softball.


A true freshman pitcher for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Keehn has been a monster for the Lady Bulldogs, owning a 7-1 record with a 1.35 ERA so far this season.

Keehn’s been so good lately that she’s the two-time reigning Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Pitcher of the Week award winner – an honor she earned after tossing a no-hitter and recording consecutive shutouts for a MGCCC team that is 25-3 on the season and 9-3 in conference play.

One of those weeks, she was also tabbed as the National Junior College Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week – the highest honor a pitcher in that classification can receive during the season.


The Lady Bulldogs are contenders for state, regional and national titles this spring – a scenario that Keehn said ‘couldn’t have been scripted any better,’ considering that she comes from the talent-rich Vandebilt program that is regularly playing in high-stakes games, as well.

“College softball is going great,” Keehn said. “I love it at Gulf Coast. The environment here is great and the coaches are amazing and know what they are talking about. The team became my family really quick, because I was out of state, and didn’t know many people. They took me in just like their sister, and it’s been a great experience.”

For Keehn, retiring hitters in the circle is pretty common. She’s been doing this her whole life.


With the Lady Terriers, Keehn was a force – one of the most decorated pitchers in the rich history of Vandebilt softball.

While at the prep level, Keehn recorded more than 60 career wins, while helping the Lady Terriers push deep into the playoffs in several seasons.

Keehn recorded a 305-strikeout season as a junior, and was a multi-time All-State and All-District Player, including winning District MVP.


Former Vandebilt softball coach and current Terriers Athletic Director Margaret Johnson said that during Keehn’s playing days in Houma, she was the consummate leader – the type of player that inspired others with her work ethic and passion for the game.

“You will never see someone who works as hard as she does,” Johnson said. “That’s the reason why she’s been able to have the success that she’s had for our team. Nora loves what she does. It’s obvious. She’s always trying to perfect it. That, and nothing really bothers her. Things happen in the course of the game that would aggravate or annoy lesser players, but with Nora, she’s able to keep an even keel.”

But even for as decorated as Keehn was at the prep level, she said there was still a massive learning curve she faced at the college level.


Keehn said that in high school, a lot of the hitters are predictable and can be ‘figured out’ after facing them multiple times.

But in college, there are no easy outs, and everyone that you face in a game is a player who was the star player of their high school team.

The struggles showed – at least early on.


In Keehn’s first-career outing, she allowed three home runs, and was dinged for seven runs (just three earned) against Chattanooga State Community College.

Three outings later, Pensacola State College touched her up for four runs in just one inning.

“The game is at a faster pace in college,” Keehn said. “You have to be on your toes and ready for anything. These girls we play against can bunt the ball and beat out the throw at any time. They can also hit it over the fence for a home run. It’s a constant challenge.”


But after the early struggles, Keehn found her groove and started to do her thing.

On March 4, Keehn allowed just three hits in six and one-third innings to win a 1-0 tilt against Itawamba Community College – the start of a lengthy scoreless streak that encompassed more than 20 innings from March 4-19.

Keehn went two-straight outings without even allowing a hit on March 18 and 19, pitching four innings of no-hit ball to beat Coahoma Community College, then five innings to trump Holmes Community College – the games that sparked her national award honor.


The local pitcher said her days at Vandebilt helped prepare her for where she is now. As a Lady Terrier, Keehn pitched in late-season postseason games against the best opposition in Louisiana.

“I knew it would take lots of hard work and commitment to my team, but I really did expect to do well in my first season here,” Keehn said. “I maybe didn’t think I would have done this week, but it just takes a lot of trust in your team. And I can honestly say that I have all of the confidence in the world in them.”

But now, Keehn and the Lady Bulldogs are focused on more lofty goals.


With a 25-3 record, MGCCC has lofty goals for postseason – one which they hope is filled with trophy games and a championship.

The Lady Bulldogs are used to that type of success lately, having won 45 games in 2015, which included a third-round berth in the NJCAA Championship Tournament.

This year, Keehn hopes that she and her teammates can do better, especially by winning the last game they play in the season.


If she’s in the circle when the games matter most, it’s hard to deny that MGCCC will be pretty tough to beat – especially if Keehn keeps cruising at the pace she’s been on in the past few weeks.

“My goals are to help my team get through state, regionals and then to chase a national title,” Keehn said. “This team is so much more talented than I ever would have expected going into it. I am so, so honored to play these girls.

“Now, we want to push forward and win it all.”


Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College pitcher Nora Keehn tosses a pitch during a game this season. The former All-State pitcher at Vandebilt Catholic has shined in her first collegiate season, earning countless awards and honors for her success in the circle for the Lady Bulldogs.

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