Erica Shepherd Derryberry

Over the course of her high school softball career Shepherd-Derryberry played on three Bruin teams with state tournament berths. Erica received a number of honors during her senior season when she led the Bruins in doubles, triples, home runs and RBI’s. She batted .362 and scored 31 runs, leading the Bruins to the state semifinals game and a 37-9 overall record. During that season she was All-Conference, All-State, Academic All-State, Oklahoma Academic Scholar, President’s Award for Academic Excellence recipient, member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, member of the National Honor Society and she received the Bartlesville All-Sports Booster Award.

Erica stayed busy with softball during the summer months as well, when she played softball for the legendary Chevy City Blazers. During her final season with the Blazers she led the team to the national tournament. That season Shepherd-Derryberry batted .318 with 63 hits, 42 RBI’s, five doubles, eleven triples and three home runs.

After graduating high school Erica moved on to Missouri State University and continued her success on the diamond. While at MSU she was a four-year starter at shortstop and a member of a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Championship team. Shepherd was All-Conference in 1997, All-Conference Tournament Team and All-Conference Academic Squad from 1997-1999, tied the single season home run record (6) and set the career games played record of 216 – a record that she still holds to this day. Erica was induced into the MSU Hall of Fame in 2019.