Missouri State

Honors
NFCA Scholar-Athlete: 2023
MVC Honor Roll: 2022-23
MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll: Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024

2024 (Sophomore)
Started in center field in all 27 games that she participated in…Owned a .314 batting average with 27 hits, nine runs scored and seven stolen bases on the season…Collected four hits across the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. to open the season (Feb. 8-10)…Laid down an RBI bunt single, stole two bases and drew a walk in MSU’s win against Army on opening weekend (Feb. 9)…Went 5-for-11 with two stolen bases and a run scored in a three-game series at Southern Miss (Feb. 17-18)…Perfect 2-for-2 at the plate at No. 8 Tennessee (March 8)…Also collected a hit, scored a run and stole a base against Ohio State at the Tennessee Invitational (March 8)…Posted a career day at the plate with a 3-for-3 outing that included her first career home run and a career-high four RBI in a run-rule victory over Illinois State (March 15)…Added two more hits in the series finale against the Redbirds (March 17)…Hit a single and scored a run in a midweek matchup at No. 8 Oklahoma State (March 26)…Put together a 2-for-3 day at the plate in the series opener versus Murray State (March 29)…Suffered an injury in the Murray State series that sidelined her for the remainder of the season…Named to MSU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.

2023 (Freshman)
Appeared in all but one game for the Bears and drew 48 starts in center field…Led MSU with 26 stolen bases on the year, which ranks third all-time in program history for a single season…Ranked 40th nationally in stolen bases…Second on the team with 29 runs scored…Collected five multiple-hit games…Went 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI, a walk and stole an MSU single-game record four bases against Mississippi Valley State (Feb. 18)…In a rematch with MVSU, she was 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs and three stolen bases (Feb. 19)…Was a combined 5-for-8 with three runs and three stolen bases over the final two games of the Michelle Short Memorial Classic (Feb. 24-25)…Smacked a season- and career-high three hits against South Dakota State (Feb. 25)…Drew two walks and went 1-for-1 at the plate as she scored a couple of runs and swiped two bases versus Tulsa (March 22)…Knocked an RBI double and scored a run in MSU’s one-run victory at Illinois State (April 8)…Logged a career-high three runs, in addition to two walks and two stolen bases against UIC (April 16)…Named to the MSU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.

High School
Ford was a three-time first-team all-region selection and three-year starter at Ozark (Mo.) High School… Broke Ozark’s school record with 57 hits and tied for the second-most triples in a single season in the state of Missouri with 13 during her senior campaign…Also hit for a career-high .479 average and tied the school record with 26 stolen bases in her final season…Helped lead the Tigers to district and conference championships and an appearance in the state quarterfinals with a .459 average and 39 hits on the year as a freshman.

Personal
Abby Jo Ford was born 6/25/03 in Springfield, Mo. …Daughter of Chris and Katie Ford of Springfield…Has one brother, Zach, and one sister, Kara…Brother, Zach, played baseball at College of the Ozarks…Majoring in Interior Design.