Magnolia left-hander Dalton O'Donnell took a step closer to fulfilling a dream.
On Thursday afternoon, the pitcher signed an NCAA Division II letter-of-intent to play baseball at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.
"I'm very excited to get this opportunity. It's not only an opportunity to further my academic career, but also to play the sport I love," said O'Donnell.
School administrators, coaches, family, teammates and friends gathered in the Media Center on the Magnolia High School campus for the ceremony.
"Dalton was a great kid on and off the field. He won some big games for us this season and was part of our one-two punch on the mound," said head baseball coach Bobby Beeson.
Without O'Donnell's effort during the season, Beeson said the Panthers would not have even reached the state tournament.
"He had some huge wins for us and I'm excited he's getting this opportunity," said Beeson.
O'Donnell, who finished with a 6-2 record on the mound, said the Magnolia baseball program helped him develop both on and off the field.
Magnolia athletic director Marvin Lindsey Jr said, "It's always a great day when a Panther signs with a college."
"I have known Dalton for a long time and he's a great kid. He's very fortunate to get this opportunity to play baseball for Henderson State," said Lindsey.
The athletic director said he was proud of O'Donnell for the way he represented the school district and community over the years.
"Also, I want everyone to know that it took some hard word on Dalton's part to get to this point. There have been hours of behind- the-scenes work by him," explained Lindsey.
Beeson also said O'Donnell had the unique ability to make teammates laugh.
"We had some trying times this season, but Odie found ways to keep us upbeat," he said.
Henderson State had a remarkable season.
The Reddies had 14 wins over nationally-ranked opponents including two wins over No. 1 St. Cloud State and five wins over teams ranked in the top 10.
They finished fourth-in the Great American Conference regular-season and runner-ups in the GAC Tournament.
HSU made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA postseason that saw the Reddies win the NCAA Central Region Championship and advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships.
The Reddies won two games at the National Championships and advanced to the semi-finals finishing as one of the top four teams in the nation.