SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior Shelby Tevis has committed to play softball at the University of La Verne and will sign with the program on Wednesday at the school’s Signing Day Celebration.

“I am very excited to play on a college team,” said Tevis. “Two years ago, I did not want to play in college. But my teammates inspired me to play. Now I am really excited!”

Tevis is in her fourth season on the varsity team. She has hit .335 for her career with six home runs and 47 RBIs in her career. She was an All-Delta League second-team selection as a junior after hitting .357 with 15 RBI and a team-best three home runs, including two in the playoffs.

Tevis will play for La Verne Head Coach Julie Smith, who is a decorated softball player at the collegiate, national and international level. Smith was the starting second baseman on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team that captured the gold medal in Atlanta. She also was a member of two World Championship teams and three Pan American squads that earned gold medals.

Le Verne is a Division III school with just over 2,700 undergraduate students. The Leopards play in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

La Verve has played in six of the last eight SCIAC postseason tournaments and advanced to three NCAA Tournaments. The Leopards have excelled off the field as well under Smith. La Verne has placed a total of 10 student-athletes on the Academic All-SCIAC Softball Teams from 2013-2015 and has had total of 14 student-athletes named NFCA Scholar Athletes.

“I like that it is a small school and neat community,” said Tevis. “You know your teachers and people really well.”

Tevis, who is from Sacramento, plans to study endocrinology. She has been inspired to get into medicine based on her own experience with diabetes.

“It has been harder as I have gotten older,” said Tevis of playing with diabetes. “But I think it is manageable. It is an experience.”

Tevis is hitting a career-best .435 this season and enters the week with a five-game hitting streak.

“I want to have a good year with all of my friends and prepare myself for college,” said Tevis. “My teammates have pushed me to be better to play better for them and growing mentally. I want to be a better person in the game and for my teammates.”

St. Francis will have a Signing Day Celebration on Wednesday, April 13 at 9 a.m. in the Theatre.