Payton Appleberry Brown, a three-time all-state softball player for Republic, is one of nine former players who will receive the Diamond 9 Award from the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame during its spring sports luncheon in June.
Brown was a second-team all-state selection in 2009 as a sophomore. She was a first-team selection in 2010 and 2011. And she earned that all-state designation playing two different positions: shortstop and catcher.
At the time she played, she held single-season Republic records for stolen bases, runs scored and batting average. She was one of the best defensive shortstops in southwest Missouri during her time at that position, and she was a key part of the Lady Tigers’ two final four teams. Republic finished fourth in 2008 and third in 2009. She collected four base hits during Republic’s two final four games in 2009.
Brown is one of just three Republic softball players to earn an all-state selection in three different seasons. The others are Jamie Holmes and Brown’s teammate, Hailey Johnson.
Brown played two seasons at Crowder College and earned an NJCAA Regional All-Star team selection in 2014.
She and other honorees will be recognized at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame’s Spring Sports Luncheon at 11 a.m. on June 7 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield.