The P.K. Yonge softball program is sending another player to the college ranks.

Last year, Emma Mansfield signed with Jacksonville University.

On Tuesday, Lila Sutton made it official with South Florida State College.

“Honestly, it’s a beautiful campus,” she said. “I love the coaching staff there. They’re all welcoming and wonderful, and I honestly just can’t wait to be down there.”

Sutton was playing travel ball at a Backwards K tournament in Newberry when her travel ball coach told her about a camp for South Florida State College, which she attended last July.

“What kind of stood out about me, at least what they told me, was just my personality and how vocal I am on the field,” Sutton said. “They really strive to look for players that are vocal, not only picking up their players, but also knowing the field, knowing what the next play is, and everything like that.”

The Panthers are a Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) school in Avon Park that competes in the Sun-Lakes Conference.

“This college program is gaining more than a talented athlete; they’re gaining a young woman who knows how to lead and rise to the moment,” said her travel ball coach, Katie Jordan (Freedom – Jordan 18U). “This next chapter is earned, and I have no doubt she will continue to glorify God and her family through her work ethic, character and love for the game.”

Sutton took a different route than most college signees.

“I really didn’t want to start playing at the next level until this past summer,” she said. “I only (recently) started playing softball again. I played when I was eight years old, and then I didn’t touch a softball until my sophomore year of high school.”

Last year as a junior, Sutton finished with a .300 batting average, 15 hits, a double, and a triple in 21 games. She also drove in nine runs and stole four bases. She was selected to Mainstreet’s 2025 All Area Big School Softball team.

“I honestly felt like it was a pretty good season, especially for my junior year, because the junior year is probably the most important part in baseball and softball, that’s your most important year,” she said. “I honestly felt like it was pretty good. I mean, in softball, you’re going to fail seven times out of 10, so having a .300 batting average is actually pretty good for a ball player, so I felt like I did pretty well.”

Former P.K. Yonge coach Daryl Mosley pointed to Sutton’s coachability and versatility in helping the Blue Wave.

“Lila Sutton was always a coachable player willing to step up and adapt to any role her team needed,” said Mosley. “A true utility player with high potential of success on defense as well as on offense. She will have a promising career at the next level and handle herself with confidence from her cultivated experience over the years.”

She played multiple positions, but her primary spot was third base.

“Coaching her has been a privilege,” Jordan said. “From the way she commands the middle infield to the power she brings at the plate. She plays with confidence and heart, but what truly sets her apart is her leadership. She shows up, she works hard and her teammates follow.”

Despite a pair of losses during the regular season to eventual 2A-District 5 champion Newberry, one of Sutton’s most memorable games was against the Panthers.

“The game that stands out to me the most was when we played at Newberry, and I was playing third base at the time, and Newberry is known for bunters and slappers and everything,” she said. “Well, this girl, I’m actually friends with the girl (Malana Kennard), but she bunted a ball down to third, and I read the ball so well that I fielded the ball, threw the ball while I was running, and got her out, and they didn’t bunt or slap on us again.”

Sutton, who was third on the team with a .485 on-base percentage, will be one of the leaders for P.K. Yonge (11-13) this spring.

She said she needs to continue working on her softball IQ heading into her final year with the Blue Wave.

“I started the game two, three years ago, so there’s still some catching up I need to do from girls who have been playing their whole lives,” Sutton said. “But honestly, other than that, just working on getting stronger and better for the collegiate level.”