By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE – Back in January, Hewitt Trussville softball player Kenleigh Cahalan was able to take advantage of a rare opportunity, afforded to her by her efforts on the diamond for the Huskies as well as finishing up her high school classes early. Kenleigh was able to graduate early from Hewitt and attend The University of Alabama as an early enrollee and get to work immediately for Bama’s softball squad.
The Crimson Tide, with Cahalan’s help, made it to their 14th Women’s College World Series appearance. It was the second time in the past three years that they have made it this far. The season ended with a 45-22 record for the Tide after a 2-0 loss to Stanford in an elimination game on Friday.
Cahalan was an immediate contributor for the Tide, starting all 66 games and ending the season with a .289 batting average, hitting 7 home runs and driving in 31 RBI on the season. She also had .927 fielding percentage to help the Tide on defense.
Kenleigh found the transition from high school to college to be nearly seamless. “I personally thought the transition was very smooth and not as difficult as some might assume,” said Cahalan. “I had an amazing coaching staff and teammates that were there whenever I may have needed them which was very helpful. On the softball side of things, Coach Rocky Thompson from the Birmingham Thunderbolts organization got me really prepared as a freshman coming in early. Then, for the education at Alabama, Hewitt was such a big campus and had such an amazing education that I felt ready for the University knowing that I am prepared for the bigger environment.”
Speaking on her accomplishments this season, as well as what she needs to improve on, Cahalan said, “I am most proud of the team and how we fight. There is so much grit and heart throughout the whole team and I absolutely love it. Personally, I need to get better at my discipline at the plate. Better pitch selection produces more runners on base to help drive in more runs for the team.”
Her coach, the legendary Patrick Murphy, said the following about Kenleigh’s first year at the Capstone, “Not many kids could do what she did this year. Graduating early and coming in and having her first day of practice on January 7. I believe it was a Sunday. She became the starter at shortstop. She led off for us for at least half of the season. She hit a bit of a slump in the middle. She was facing the best of the best in Power 5 pitching. We had the number two strength of schedule in the country. She was just a high school senior and now she’s facing UCLA, Florida State, Duke. All three are top 8 seeds in the tournament now and she held her own. I couldn’t be more proud of a kid. Great kid, great family. The whole thing was awesome. Everyone in Trussville should be very proud of her because she represented the school and the entire city very well.”
Coach Murphy shared a great story from Kenleigh’s first day on the field with Bama, saying that he would “be sharing this story at coaches’ camps for the remainder of my career.” Murphy said, “This encapsulates her as a player and a person. We did this drill on the first day of practice. It was the first day of spring practice. We have this thing at the end where three players draw three names out of a hat. Those three (the ones drawn) have to complete an offensive task. Since it was her first day, she got to pick the first name out of the hat. She goes over and grabs the name and it’s her name. She drew her own name. So, she was the third to get up to bat. Her task was a runner at third and less than two outs and she had to bring the runner home. She get’s up and my pitching coach is pitching. First pitch is a riser at Kenleigh’s eyes and she took it. The second ball was brought down a bit and right at the waste. She clobbers that ball into the brickyard for a home run. You would have thought we won the World Series that day. Her teammates went crazy. I went crazy. My pitching coach has this look like, ‘how the hell did she hit that!?’ That was her welcome to college softball moment.”
Kenleigh’s former teammates at Hewitt continued their winning ways after she was gone by winning the 7A State Championship this season. Asked about her former team winning it all, Cahalan said, “I was sadly not able to watch any of the games, but I had full faith that Coach Taylor Burt was going to do everything she could to help that team get there and win it all! I’m sure there was a lot of pride there and I am proud of each and every one of them. I love all the girls on that team and know how hard they work, and I am so glad that they were able to take home another blue map for the school!”
Cahalan got to share a locker room with what many consider to be the best softball player to every play the game, Montana Fouts. “I personally thought it was a great experience. She was such an amazing leader on and off the field and taught me so much. She is such a great role model to kids all around and it was so much fun playing behind her this year.” Fouts finished the season with a 1.48 ERA, a record of 25-10 and 319 strikeouts in 223 innings pitched.
This offseason, Cahalan plans to improve on the areas she knows she needs to in order to get better, but she has some other plans as well. “I am most looking forward to getting better by working on what I know I need to get better at before the season starts. I am also looking forward to our amazing trip to Italy in July as well as meeting all of the new players coming in. I get to meet the new girls and take the trip of a lifetime with amazing people around me.”
“I had an amazing time and met so many new faces and I am so glad that I decided to come in early and start my collegiate career with such amazing people,” said Kenleigh. “I am very thankful for all my Trussville supporters who supported me and my decision when I left for Alabama.”