Extra Star Power: 2023 Pitcher/Infielder Kaylee Grace… Diagnosed with Scoliosis at Age 12, She’s Worked Tremendously Hard to Become One of the Northeast’s Best Players
By
@BruntjensElla
February 17, 2022
Kaylee Grace of NE Fusion 18U is a 2023 pitcher/hitter who her teammates praise as “one of the hardest working players” they’ve ever met.
Uncommitted 2023 RHP/2B Kaylee Grace has dealt with a lot in her life and softball career and still manages to excel on the softball diamond and in the classroom.
Grace, who carries a 4.0 GPA and plays for NE Fusion 18U Gold-Johnson, found out she had Scoliosis at a young age and trained to strengthen herself, so she could still play the sport she loves, which helped her to the USA Softball HPP program and the Final 8 of the MIAA North Division 2 state championships with Bedford High of Massachusetts last season.
Kaylee went 7-1 last Fall in club play and also led her Bedford (Mass.) High team to the state playoffs last year.
“I’ve been playing with Kaylee since T-ball,” Bedford 2024 3B/1B Landey Reed said, “she’s one of the most talented and driven players I’ve ever met,” Mead said. “Going into our states last year, there was a lot of pressure in her being starting pitcher, but she somehow still managed to make sure everyone in the team was calmed down and focused on the game. She’s a great team player and always wants to see everyone succeed.
“On the field, I’ve seen her grow so much over the last years and being with her for a while I know how skilled she is. She loves the sport and wants to get better every time she steps out on the field. She puts in the work and it shows. It has been a pleasure to call her a teammate and a friend. I look forward to playing with her for years to come because of her talent on the field, her drive to want to do good and her ability to bring a team up.”
Grace’s worth ethic and support have always been apparent to her teammates such as Bedford 2023 P Lulu Steele.
“Kaylee is a hard-working player on and off the field,” Steele said. “Kaylee has always been super hard-working since I first started playing with her in elementary. Kaylee is a super supportive teammate, cheering on those when she is not playing or hyping up everyone else to cheer and support her teammates.”
2023 OF/3B Gianni Missiti got to play with Grace on the NE Hurricanes Elite in the fall and she’s teammates with Grace at Bedford.
“One of the reasons that I love Kaylee as a teammate is because when she knew that my club team wasn’t the best match for me, she helped me look for other clubs and even got me a chance to practice on her team,” Missiti said. “It was very selfless of her and I am on that team now. She also has a lot of positive energy on the field, she is always getting people hyped up before they go up to bat or are going on the field. She is a great leader on and off the field and is always there if you need someone to talk to.
“She is definitely one of the most hard-working people I have met. What makes her a unique athlete is how she can pitch a whole game and then be totally up for pitching another game. She is very motivated and when it comes to softball. No one can get in her way.”
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EXTRA STAR POWER Q&A
Kaylee also shines in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA.
Name: KAYLEE GRACE Hometown: Bedford, MA High School: Bedford High School Club Team: New England Fusion 18U Gold-Johnson Graduation Year: 2023 Height: 5-foot-4 Position: P/2B/OF Nickname: KG Twitter: @Kay1eeGrace
Honors: USA Softball HPP Region 1 U17 team; Dual County All-Star (2021); three-time All-American; Rookie of the Year Award (2020); Game-Changer Award (2020); Honor roll student; Regional award winner for Business Law and Ethics for emerging leaders in DECA (2020); and Multicultural Award-Excellence in Foreign Language (Spanish).
Travel Ball Highlights/Fall Stats: (Fall 2021): 7-1, 2.50 ERA, 1.703 WHIP, 25 Ks, 13 BBs, 37 IP, 0.875 fielding percentage and batting average of .300.
High School Stats: 9-1, one save, 2.50 ERA and batted .325 with 24 RBIs.
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Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them?
I have always wanted to play for an elite travel team and organization and play for a coach like Dave Johnson, who has accumulated almost 900 wins in his 21-plus years of coaching. All of my teammates are looking to play in college, so it is great to be on a team where everyone not only loves the game but has aspirations of playing in college.
What were some of the training methods and workouts you did to stay busy during the stay-at-home orders because of the coronavirus situation?
I had Zoom sessions with my personal trainer Nelson to stay in shape, and through the All-American program that I am blessed to be a part of, they were hosting Zoom calls with Olympic and pro softball players one of which was Lacey Waldrop, who pitched at Florida State and for the Chicago Bandits and worked with me virtually until she received her current position at the University of Houston as a pitching coach. This happened because, after the large group Zoom call, I reached out to her privately via email to both thank her and ask if she would be willing to look at some of my videos of me pitching because at this time I could not even leave my driveway. From there, I was able to work with her and I learned so many things and it helped me become the athlete I am today.
*** Scroll down to learn more about Kaylee including the time she achieved “perfection” but didn’t know it!
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