Junior shortstop Kathryn Harrell is arguably one of the best softball players in the country and has consistently been ranked in the top fifth percentile in batting average this year. Harrell, a native of League City, Texas, moved to Thibodaux in fall 2004 to begin playing softball for the Lady Colonels.
“I was originally recruited by Texas State, Nicholls and the University of Texas-San Antonio, but I chose Nicholls because I really liked the players, coaches and the environment,” Harrell said. “It just seemed that the Nicholls’ players had more fun on the field than the other teams.”
Head softball coach Jenny Parsons said Harrell is a great athlete that remains modest and hard working.
“She is a very determined and hard working player. She is humble and doesn’t go around telling her stats. She is all about helping this team do its very best and I think that says a lot about her,” Parsons said.
In her freshman year playing for Nicholls, Harrell led the team with a .281 batting average and finished the year with two homeruns and 19 RBIs. She made her mark in Nicholls history when she became one of only three players to ever record four hits in a game. Besides hitting, Harrell proved she was great on the field as she only had two errors in 51 games.
Harrell’s sophomore year was filled with even more success as she led the team with a .382 batting average, .659 slugging percentage, 112 total bases, four triples and 12 stolen bases. She finished first in the Southland Conference in batting average and was given SLC Hitter of the Year honors.
If one word could describe Harrell’s 2007 softball season, it would most likely be perseverance. She suffered an oblique muscle injury while hitting in a game against Centenary College earlier in the season.
Parsons said Harrell plays hard despite being in pain on the field.
“She has been playing hurt since February. Whether it is fielding ground balls, throwing or hitting, everything she does on the field hurts. Despite her injury, she still works hard and does her best to help the team win,” Parsons said.
Despite playing injured, Harrell has excelled at the plate this season and has accumulated a .510 batting average, which exceeds all other players in the SLC. In batting average, she is ranked third in the nation out of all division I schools.
Harrell said her success on the field is a result of her teammates pushing her to work harder.
“My teammates push me a lot to work harder. We have a great batting lineup and that really helps. The team really wants to win and we all encourage one another to play hard and become better players,” Harrell said.
Harrell is majoring in sports science and plans to pursue a career as a coach or athletic director.
The Lady Colonels (23-22, 12-11 SLC) return to action this weekend against the University of Texas A&M at Corpus Christi. The Lady Colonels have lost 10 of their last 15 games and would like to finish strong at home against Corpus Christi, Piper said.
“We are currently ranked sixth in conference and we are competing with about five other teams for a spot in the tournament. We just have to go out and relax, score runs and play good softball,” Parsons said.
