Eighty days after she reopened her recruitment following coaching changes at NC State, Gulf Shores rising senior Keesheinna “Tia” Titi announced her commitment to the Marshall Thundering Herd after her time with the Dolphins.

Titi helped Gulf Shores win its first regular season area championship since 2014 before she represented her squad at the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s North-South All-Star game. She was also named a second-team all-state catcher by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

“First I want to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity. I want to thank Coach (Morgan) Zerkle and Marshall University for the privilege of getting to play for this great university,” Titi wrote on Sept. 5. “I also want to thank Coach Teo (Caymol) and the Georgia Impact Organization for helping me through the recruiting process. Thank you to Coach (Haley) Hopkins at Gulf Shores High School for your guidance. Last but most important, I want to thank my family for their continuous love and support.”

As part of Legacy and Legends Softball’s rankings for Elite Top Prospects in the Class of 2024, Titi checked in at No. 87 overall as a five-star recruit where she was the 8th-ranked catcher in the country. In the statewide rankings, Titi was No. 5 for her class in Alabama.

It was Sept. 24, 2022, when Titi initially announced her pledge to the NC State Wolfpack after a busy summer. After head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift was relieved of her duties during the 2023 season, Titi officially reopened her recruitment on June 17 and almost three months later found her destination.

Marshall finished with a 45-10 overall record last season including a 17-5 mark in the Sun Belt Conference for third place overall.

As the No. 2 seed in the conference championship, the Thundering Herd beat Coastal Carolina and South Alabama to earn a spot in the finals where they fell to eventual champion Louisiana. Five athletes were named to the All-Sun Belt first-team where Sydney Bickel won the Newcomer of the Year award.