COLUMBIA, S.C. — Morgan Hunter is a groundskeeper for the Fireflies here in Columbia.
"I wanted to go into production agriculture. From where I grew up, that’s what was around," Hunter said. "I knew I did not want to be stuck in an office, so I really didn’t care what I did as long as I was outside."
Morgan is one of three women groundskeepers in the entire MiLB, which consists of 120 teams.
As a groundskeeper at Segra Park, Morgan spends about 12-15 hours at work on a game day.
That incudes time spent edging the grass and on rainy days she’ll pull the tarp on and off the field.
"When the team’s out of town it’s all of our big projects, like making sure the skin’s level and doing any irrigation projects," Hunter said.
She started with the Fireflies in February 2021 as an assistant and was promoted in September 2021 to the head sports turf manager.
Morgan said in getting advice about how to be a good leader for her team, she's turned to her friend Leah, a fellow female groundskeeper in the MiLB with the Reno Aces.
"I’ve never really come in to contact with anyone that’s just been not willing to work with me because I’m a female. They might have been skeptical at first, so you definitely have to prove that you can keep up with the guys and pull your own weight," Hunter said.
Edging her way up the corporate ladder, Morgan is paving the way for women in sports.