BUTLER TWP — Julia Baxter simply won't stray far from home.

The Butler graduate and Butler County Community College sophomore has accepted a full scholarship to continue her academic and basketball career at Slippery Rock University next season.

The 5-foot-11 center will have two years of eligibility with The Rock.

“This is a big deal for us,” said SRU coach Bobby McGraw, a Mars graduate. “Our goal is to never let any mid-major or Division II level basketball talent from Butler County get away ever again.

“Julia is capable of stepping in and starting for us right away next year.”

Rock center C.C. Dixon, a transfer from California (Pa.) University, will only have one semester of eligibility remaining next year. McGraw said Dixon won't play until the second semester.”

Baxter is the second prime Butler County basketball talent signed by McGraw in the past two years. Karns City graduate LeeAnn Gibson is expected to see playing time as a freshman for SRU this year.

“Slippery Rock is close to home and my family has always been very supportive of my basketball career,” Baxter said. “I didn't want to go anywhere else.

“In the back of my mind, I've always envisioned myself playing for Slippery Rock.”

She hasn't done too badly at BC3.

Baxter averaged 24 points, 13.9 rebounds and five blocked shots per game for the Pioneers last season. She was named MVP of the Region XX tournament, scoring 21 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in the championship game.

In Wednesday's season opener, Baxter scored 27 points, grabbed 23 boards and blocked seven shots in a win over Penn State DuBois.

“Baxter has to shoot better from the foul line and work on going to her right,” BC3 coach Dick Hartung said. “Besides that, she's pretty good. She can definitely play there (at SRU).

“It's a good choice. Baxter is a Butler County girl and Slippery Rock is a Butler County school.”

Baxter shot 56 percent from the line for the Pioneers last year. She needs 513 points for 1,000 at BC3.

“I feel like I can get to 1,000 and I want to increase my rebound and blocked shot totals,” Baxter said. “My foul shooting definitely needs to improve.

“I love playing for Coach Hartung. I'd been attending his (basketball) camps since third grade, so there's a comfort level there.”

With Baxter''s physical strength and his team's outside shooting ability, Hartung sees nothing but big things for Baxter this season.

“She is so strong and she's dropped 10 to 15 pounds, so she's much faster,” Hartung said. “The only thing that can stop Baxter is an injury.

“We've got a lot of girls who can shoot the ball, so defenses can't sag down low. They have to come out and guard, so Baxter will be able to clean up in there.”

Baxter spurned a full scholarship offer from the University of Akron last spring to stay at BC3 for another season. Jodi Kest, a former three-time basketball captain and Athletic Hall of Fame member at SRU, is head coach at Akron.

“If we didn't jump in and offer early, we probably wouldn't have gotten her,” McGraw said. “Julia's stock is only going to go up.”

Hartung agreed.

“Collegiate interest in her was gonna mount,” he said. “I'm impressed she wanted to come back and stay with us for another year. I told her after last year she could leave and move on. But she likes it here.

“Her staying won't improve my paycheck. It will improve my won-loss record.”

Baxter plans to major in exercise science at SRU. She plans to be in the starting lineup right away, once she gets there.

“Definitely,” she declared. “That's the goal.”