Former Muldrow Lady Bulldog softball player and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Lady Norse outfielder Destiny Tune was named to the 2024 All-Region II Softball Team.
After missing out in making the All-Region II Team after her redshirt freshman season in 2023, Tune was motivated to try to make that happen this spring — which it did.
“Freshmen can make it as well,” she said. “We had one of our freshman infielders make on there this year. I was very motivated (to try to make it in 2024 after not doing so in 2023). I wanted to make sure if I went out, I went out playing the best I could and was the best person I could be on and off the field.
Tune, who just finished her NEO career in the 2024 Region II Tournament earlier this month in Piedmont, hit .393 with 21 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 47 runs batted in and scored 46 runs.
Tune’s fielding percentage was .977 for the Golden Norse, who went 29-25 this spring.
Originally, she would have been playing for the Lady Norse in the spring seasons of 2022 and 2023, but a shoulder injury sidelined that.
“My freshman year I tore up my shoulder, and I had to have surgery,” Tune said. “I got hurt (in) my first conference game, and I was able to red-shirt. I’m a super sophomore. When I came back last year (freshman season), I didn’t have the best season, and it kind of beat me down a little bit mentally. So this year, I told myself that no matter what happens, I was going to keep my head up and find that love I had for the game (of softball) again.”
For a while, it looked like when the 2024 season ended earlier this month at the Region II Tournament, so, too, would Tune’s college career. That doesn’t appear to be the case now.
“I was hesitant because I hadn’t decided if I was going to go anywhere,” she said. “I had a talk (on Friday) with my (NEO) coach (Bailey Burnett). I’m going to play on. I took a visit at MACU, Mid-America Christian University. (Burnett) told me of a couple of schools who were looking at me. Rogers State (in Claremore) contacted me (Friday) to talk more about their program. They were looking at me when I was a freshman.”
Tune is pretty much a happy camper that there are four-year schools showing interest in her.
“It’s very exciting,” the former Muldrow Lady Bulldog said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something for myself, making that little girl proud. I feel pretty good (about more college softball ahead).”
She said she isn’t rushing into things to secure those final two seasons of collegiate softball.
“I’m probably going to take as many visits as I can just to make sure I find that school that fits well with me,” Tune said.
Tune said she will look back fondly, but also bittersweetly, on her NEO softball career.
“It’s definitely our coach,” she said. “She became more than just a coach. She was definitely one of my role models. She pushed me past my point, but it was always out of love — and to know not to give up on myself, no matter how hard it was. I’m definitely going to miss camaraderie with the team. It’s never going to be that way again. That’s the closest I’ve ever been to a group of girls. There was never ever any beef. We loved each other as we were family, so I’m definitely going to miss that.”
However, college softball has been everything Tune could have hoped for when signing with the Lady Norse while she was a part of the MHS Class of 2021.
“It has been everything I thought it would be,” Tune said. “It’s been a dream come true.”
