Kaitlin Bradley didn’t want the weight of her senior college decision to mess with her sophomore season at Itawamba Community College.
Bradley also didn’t want to settle for a school because the balance between academics and athletics was too important to her.
When she visited Blue Mountain College two weeks ago, Bradley knew pretty quickly she had found the right mix.
“I had heard really good things about the school and the education and the softball,” said Bradley, a former standout at New Hope High School in Columbus. “I really liked the education and teachers they have, and the campus is small so you will know a lot of people and it won’t be hard to make friends.
“I really did feel comfortable on campus.”
That comfort level played a big part in Bradley’s decision Wednesday to sign a National Letter of Intent to play softball for coach Tyler Herring at Blue Mountain, a NAIA school about 45 minutes northwest of Tupelo.
Bradley had a .458 batting average with 13 RBI and 18 runs scored in 59 at-bats (24 games) as a freshman. She had a double, a home run, 11 stolen bases, a .508 on-base percentage, and .525 slugging percentage. Unfortunately, she missed 20 games with a broken hand.
ICC coach Andy Kirk said Bradley suffered the “freak injury” tagging someone who was sliding into second base. He is eager to get her on the field for a full season because he feels she will be a key member of the lineup as the No. 3 hitter and as the team’s shortstop.
“Her best softball is yet to come,” Kirk said. “She had a great freshman year before she missed six weeks in the middle of the season. She came back and helped us a lot in the playoffs. I feel her potential is unlimited as far as what she can reach.”
Kirk said Bradley is a well-rounded student athlete who comes from a great family and a great high school program. He said a lot of schools were interested in her because she is a “five-tool player,” but he said she wanted to stay close to home. He is looking forward to Bradley having a great sophomore season and continuing to grow as a player when she gets to Blue Mountain.
“Sitting out was a humbling experience for her because she had never done that,” Kirk said. “It gave her a chance to sit back and you could tell the game had slowed down for her when she returned. She has always been a smooth defensive player who can play any position. Her bat is there, too. Everybody looks at her and thinks she is tall and skinny and doesn’t have a lot of power, but she does, and she can hit to all fields.”
Bradley said she sent videos to other schools but that she didn’t want to extend the recruiting process to wait to see if she received any other offers. Instead, she liked the fact she could major in biology at Blue Mountain. She is studying radiology at ICC. She said she enjoyed getting to know Herring and feels he enjoys softball and is a hard worker. She also likes the fact she will be able to be close to home so her mother, Kessler, and her father, Darrell, can come to watch her play.
Now that the senior college decision is out of the way, Bradley can focus on making the most of her final year at ICC. She said it feels great knowing she will be able to play softball for at least two more years after she leaves ICC and that she will continue to get a quality education.
“I am very excited for the season coming up. We should go really far,” Bradley said. “I am anxious to play. I am looking forward to the responsibility (of being counted on to be a leader) as well getting myself together and keeping my composure.
“I still have levels I can reach personally. I feel I can be much better than I already am.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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