January 16, 2020 

By Jon Feyen
ScoutU 

Abbie Crawford grew up in Grand Marais, Minnesota, which isn’t too far from the Canadian border. In addition to cool temperatures that aren’t ideal for softball, Abbie also had to overcome a lack of opportunity. 

“I fell in love with the sport my seventh-grade year,” Crawford said. “Unfortunately, due to how small my town is, I never got to play in my youth years. I was always playing baseball with the boys.” 

Crawford didn’t let that stop her, as she recently committed to the College of St. Scholastica, an NCAA Division III program in Duluth, Minn. 

“I am extremely excited to be given a chance to play softball in college,” Crawford said. “I had offers to play at other schools bordering Minnesota and along the coasts. I was given about five different scholarships to play for all these colleges, and I had several other schools interested in me coming to play for them.” 

One of the draws for CSS is its winning tradition. The Saints have racked up 95 wins during the last four years, including a 55-9 record in conference play. Crawford also couldn’t forget about the views she’d enjoy on a daily basis. 

“St. Scholastica is a very eye-grabbing school,” she said. “It’s very beautiful. The professors, student-athletes and coaches are all super nice and very supportive. I also like how they have a chapel in the school as well as sisters. It felt like home.” 

ScoutU’s Jason Lauren could tell that Crawford wasn’t just a good athlete. 

“She also was a smart player, knew the game very well and had instincts of seeing plays defensively before they happen,” Lauren said. “Abbie is a very strong kid who has quick hands and shows power at the plate. We are so proud she found a great fit with Coach Rilee Dawson and St. Scholastica.” 

Crawford is now looking forward to an exciting future at a great college, playing the sport that she loves. But she’s also reminiscing on how she got to this point. 

“Jason Lauren and ScoutU opened my eyes up to new opportunities in other states,” Crawford said. “I was glad that I had all these college coaches contacting me for softball. It gave me a new perspective that there are other states than cold, northern Minnesota. I thank Jason and ScoutU for all the help they have given me.”