CAIRO — Cairo’s baseball and softball teams are each coming off seasons of more than 20 wins. Two of the people that helped make those runs possible have formally made decisions about their futures.

Parents, administrators, friends and coaches looked on in Cairo High School’s media center Tuesday, as senior MacKenzie Puckett and junior Emerson Hancock each made official their commitments to Florida State and Georgia, respectively.

Cairo has not seen commitments to schools with as much prestige as those two in a while, specifically in sports that are not football.

Puckett, a shortstop that could hit for a very high average, played a big role in the softball program’s best season ever, a 24-8 year that saw the Syrupmaids make the second round of the state playoffs. 

“Having the privilege to coach such a high-level athlete has been a blast,” Cairo softball and baseball coach Ron Best said. “It’s the highest-ever softball signing we’ve ever had here. We’re glad she’s just going to be a half hour away from us.”

For Puckett, the decision to become a Seminole next year was an easy one that was years in the making.

“FSU was always my dream school,” Puckett said. “It’s really close to home and that’s a big thing for me. It’s a really good family atmosphere. The coaches and players are all a big family.”

Hancock, like Puckett, had a key role in his team’s success last season, in his case, as a pitcher. He posted a 1.09 ERA and 11 wins last year. Best has seen him grow physically and mentally over the time he’s coached him.

“Emerson has really matured over the last three years,” Best said. “He had a fantastic junior year. He’s increased his velocity on his fastball. That gets people’s attention when you break that 90 mph mark.”

Hancock is excited to be a Bulldog, but unlike his counterpart, he still has one more season as a Syrupmaker before he heads to Athens. He fully intends to make the most of his final year playing baseball in South Georgia.

“I’ve been a Georgia fan all my life,” Hancock said. “It’s been my dream to play there. We haven’t won region here in a while and I really want to do that. It would really be a good thing to leave the school with, to make a run at the playoffs and go as far as we can. We have the team to do it.”