By WILL CARTER ~ Sports Writer
Change can sometimes be a good thing, especially as a newcomer to a college softball team.
After having her senior season at Shelbyville Central High School cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic, Kaylee Adams set her sights on playing softball at the next level for the Trevecca Nazarene University Trojans.
The Trojans were a team filled with veterans on the diamond during Adams’ freshman campaign, so she had to take a step back and battle for playing time.
She played in 16 games in the 2020-21 season and had 14 at-bats with two RBIs.
Unfortunately, due to having shoulder surgery on her torn labrum, Adams had to miss the fall season to rehabilitate from the operation.
“Last year there were seven seniors, so there weren’t a lot of starting positions to fill,” Adams said. “This fall I was still recovering from my labrum surgery, so I didn’t get to play. I worked really hard this spring to get a spot on the field.”
Adams played as an infielder most of her life other than a few times when she played in the outfield for her travel softball team.
This season for the Trojans she was moved to the outfield where she has helped her team tremendously, especially at the plate.
In 33 games, Adams has posted a perfect fielding percentage with 29 putouts and one assist.
Hitting wise she’s posted a batting average of .305 with two home runs, nine RBIs, and eight stolen bases.
Her batting average is good enough for fourth best out of the 10 players that have played 30 or more games this season.
“I moved to the outfield this year, and I feel like I’ve done really well,” Adams said. “The outfield is more laid back, but still very important. I feel like I’ve helped us in our wins so far this season.”
The Trojans are 24-15 this season and 8-8 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference of Division II softball, but it isn’t where they thought they would find themselves at this point of the season.
Even with the bumps in the road, Adams is focused on helping her team make a run late in the season.
“We’re not doing as well as we were predicted to do, so we’re trying to win these last few conference games and make it to the conference tournament.”
Looking ahead to the rest of her career at Trevecca, Adams wants to help the Trojans compete at a high level that’s good enough for the NCAA Division II Softball Championship, a place the Trojans haven’t been to since 2013.
“I want to get back to the region championships, even the world series,” Adams said. “We have a young team with a lot of good recruits coming in. We have a lot of talent, so we have the potential.”
With college and college athletics comes new experiences outside of what anyone is accustomed to.
For Adams, the travel and overall happenings of college in Nashville has been a good change of pace.
“Going to places I have never been has been great. A lot of our conference games are in states I had never been to, so It’s been a lot of fun.”
As this season enters its final moments and the Trojans battle in the postseason, Adams will be a key contributor now and in her next few years at Trevecca.
