FAIRHOPE, Alabama — Fairhope Pirate defender Anne Baumhower became a Jaguar Monday after officially accepting a scholarship offer to play soccer for the University of South Alabama womens team this fall.

The three year starter lettered as a freshman, sophomore and junior at Fairhope and played primarily as a fullback or sweeper for coach Steve Morisani. Baumhower opted to play midfielder for the Mobile Soccer Club during her senior year, a position she expects to see more time in at South.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “Very excited to be, to now be, part of that program. I've known a lot of the players and coaches connected with South for as long I have been thinking about playing in college. There’s really no where else better for me right now.”

Baumhower will soon join several of her ODP (Olympic Development Program) teammates, who are also on the USA club, to begin preparing for the 2012 season. She is following Fairhope striker Lauren Marsh who is graduating this spring after winding up her career on the USA pitch.

Former club coach Tom Bierster with Mobile Soccer Club said Baumhower creates a winning, can do, atmosphere on the field.

“I was just blessed to have her on my team. She’s an outstanding talent, but she cares about her teammates and she elevates everyone around her to do their best and that makes good things happen. I hope she continues to have that effect at the college level and I’m sure she will. I’m happy that she will be able to create that atmosphere on that team too and make them a top, winning program.”

ODP coach Junior Noel said Baumhower was a complete scholar-athlete and role model.

“Ever since I met Ann, “She has been all I could expect in a player, a person,” he said. “She is a player of high standards and a person of high standards. I expect her to continue in that vein because of the competitive spirit that she has and also expect her to go from level to level to level. There’s no telling how far she could go. I have tons of confidence in her and she has tons of confidence in herself. Even though sometimes she beats herself up unnecessarily, sometimes —but it’s really a good thing because, you know —it’s in her competitive spirit to expect the best from herself at all times. So whatever field she is in, soccer or the class room, I expect (extremely good) things from her in he future.”

Learning the sport early through the Fairhope Recreation Department and club teams, Baumhower thanked many of her coaches including her first coach Bryan Seibt who was at the signing.

“He was a great coach and at first it was just fun, but before long I started getting serious about it and I think I was still in middle school when I really started wanting to go as far as I could with it,” she said. “But I also have to thank my parents for all their support. I would not have gotten to this point without them. They have put so much time into my soccer, my siblings and all my coaches, too.”

The daughter of Bob and Leslie Baumhower of Fairhope, Anne plans to study biomedical engineering.