Central Valley rolled out the green-and-maroon carpet, figuratively speaking, for senior Scarlett Lloyd just after 3 p.m. on Friday in the school’s gymnasium.

Hawk Athletic Director Greg Magni spoke glowingly of Lloyd before she signed a national letter of intent to continue her education and softball career at Wagner College.

Lloyd will become just the fifth student-athlete from Central Valley to compete at the NCAA Division-I level.  

She will also be the first person in her family to go to a four-year college.

Parents Chris and Bellia Lloyd, younger sister Victoria, and grandparents Ruben and Betty Martinez attended the signing ceremony.

“Knowing that I can carry my family’s name and represent them at the Division-I level while getting the education I want is amazing,” Lloyd said. “I’m blessed to get this opportunity.”

Lloyd earned a full-ride scholarship to Wagner College, which is located in Staten Island, N.Y.

“They came to watch me play in a tournament in Los Angeles,” Lloyd said. “From there, I started talking with the coach more. It’s a smaller school. I fell in love with it. I’m like 15 minutes away from the city.”

Texas Tech and Alabama A&M also expressed interest in signing Lloyd.

 “My recruiting process wasn’t easy,” said Lloyd, who will contribute at pitcher and first base. “There were so many ups and downs. It was a test of my faith. Knowing I found my home takes a lot of pressure off me.”

Already considered Central Valley’s greatest softball player, Lloyd will add to her impressive resume this spring.

Lloyd totaled 68 strikeouts in the circle.

She batted .556 with one homer, three doubles, 20 hits, five RBIs and five runs en route to being named Central California Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a junior.

She had slugging and on-base percentages of .722 and .590, respectively.

Lloyd also earned first-team all-league honors for the third year in a row.

She was selected to the Western Athletic Conference First Team her sophomore and freshman years.

Lloyd will major in Biology at Wagner College.

She’ll enroll in pre-med courses.

Lloyd has a cumulative grade-point average of 4.167 at Central Valley.

 “It’s amazing to know I’m leaving a legacy behind for future athletes,” Lloyd said. “It shows anything can be accomplished if you work for it.”