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For the second time this week, a Top 10 player in the Class of 2023 high school ranks has announced that has graduated early from high school to play this spring in college.
On Wednesday, the news went public that outstanding pitcher Aissa Silva has already started practicing with the Arizona Wildcats (click HERE to read that story), and on Thursday, Alabama made the news official that Kenleigh Cahalan, who had previously been ranked in the Top 5 of the 2023 Extra Elite 100 class before being reclassified as a 2022 grad, will be playing for the Crimson Tide this Spring.
Interestingly, Kenleigh helped her Birmingham Thunderbolts 18U – Rocky team win the PGF 18U Premier National Championship in Irvine, California last summer and in the title game win slugged a home run as did fellow Alabama 2022 signee Marlie Giles with whom she’ll be playing side-by-side once again.
You can see that video of the two who were interviewed right after the title win for the Bolts below along with several other articles we’ve done over the past year or two including spotlights Extra Inning Softball did on the lefty infielder when she committed to the Tide in 2021.
Yesterday (Thursday, Jan. 6, 2023), the University of Alabama released the following statement about Kenleigh suiting up now instead of a year from now:
Kenleigh Cahalan Cleared to Join Alabama Softball for 2023 Season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After signing her national letter of intent with Alabama softball in November and enrolling at the University of Alabama for the spring semester, Kenleigh Cahalan has been cleared to join the Crimson Tide and is immediately eligible for the 2023 season.
Cahalan is an in-state athlete out of Trussville, Ala., and was ranked the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 signing class by Perfect Game Softball. The left-handed hitting middle infielder earned 2022 Alabama Miss Softball and MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year honors and is a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year finalist as well as a two-time PGF and MaxPreps All-American. Cahalan won the 2022 PGF 18U National Championship with the Birmingham Thunderbolts alongside fellow Crimson Tide freshmen Marlie Giles and Larissa Preuitt. She was an All-State honoree every year of varsity at Hewitt-Trussville High School including as an eighth grader, becoming the youngest 7A player ever to do so.
“We are so excited to add Kenleigh to our roster this spring,” UA head coach Patrick Murphy said. “She had a great high school and summer ball career culminating in a PGF national championship last summer. She can play anywhere on the field and has a strong lefty bat. She will make us better immediately.”
Cahalan increases Alabama’s freshman class to five, joining Abby Duchscherer, Marlie Giles, Larissa Preuitt and Kristen White. Other newcomers for the Tide this season include junior Emma Broadfoot from North Alabama, senior Lauren Esman from Michigan and fifth-year senior Faith Hensley from Ball State. The group of eight newcomers compliments the 13 returnees from last year’s team that includes NFCA All-Region honorees Bailey Dowling, Montana Fouts, Ashley Prange and Ally Shipman.
#Team27 opens its 2023 season Feb. 10-11 hosting the Leadoff Classic at Rhoads Stadium. The Crimson Tide will play four games, facing Lehigh and Georgia Southern twice each.
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Below are some of the articles Extra Inning Softball has done to spotlight Kenleigh as she was becoming one of the top players in the country…
Video: Future Crimson Tide Teammates Marlie Giles & Kenleigh Cahalan Talk Home Runs In PGF 18U Premier National Title Game
Originally published Aug. 1, 2022 on Extra Inning Softball
Somewhere you know Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Patrick Murphy was smiling as two of his premier recruits—2023 infielder Kenleigh Cahalan and 2022 catcher Marlie Giles—were instrumental in the Birmingham Thunderbolts 18U – Rocky team winning last Saturday’s PGF 18U Premier National Championship in Irvine, California.
Training 1-0 in the top of the 4th inning, Kenleigh, a lefty, tied up the game with a smash over the right field fence and two innings later Marlie put the Bolts ahead for good in the 5-2 win with her no-doubter over the left field fence at Deanna Stadium in Bill Barber Park.
Just minutes after their team won the title, we caught up with the pair and asked about what they thought when they first hit their homers and if they knew they’d cleared the fences… here’s what they had to say:
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Last Friday (Sept. 25, 2021), one of the top 5 players in the Class of 2023—infielder Kenleigh Cahalan of Trussville, Alabama—announced that she would be playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide program located about an hour away from her home.
You can read more about why that’s such an impactful move for Patrick Murphy’s program by clicking HERE.
One of the top travel ball organizations in the country is the Birmingham Thunderbolts program headquartered in Kenleigh’s home state and the head coach of the 18U team for the Bolts is Rocky Thompson.
The junior standout will be playing for this title-winning Bolts squad for the next two years and Extra Inning Softball asked Coach Thompson what makes Kenleigh’s game so advanced and successful.
“Kenleigh’s talent and mindset has always set her apart from others, even at an earlier age,” begins Coach Thompson, “so it’s not a surprise that she has earned the opportunity to play in the SEC.”
He adds that one of the keys to the high schooler’s development is her internal drive to excel.
“Kenleigh’s biggest strength is the expectation she has for herself,” says her club coach. “She just wants to be the best version of herself possible. Her IQ and the understanding of herself and her abilities is where she has made huge strides in the last year.”
One thing that’s helped the infielder elevate her game, especially with the glove, according to Coach Rocky, is working with former Arizona State All-American Katelyn Boyd, a longtime coach within the organization.
“Coach Boyd helped take Kenleigh defensive play to a whole new level,” continues Coach Thompson, “and Kenleigh has dedicated herself to being a versatile defender. She is a competitor, it doesn’t matter what it is; if it requires a winner, she wants to win. Kenleigh is also a great individual and teammate along with being a great mentor to our younger players.”
Here’s Keneigh’s perspective on how the recruiting process went down in September and how she came to realize that—when it comes to playing college softball—there’s no place like home…
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Recruiting Q&A: New Alabama Commit Kenleigh Cahalan Talks About Staying Home to Play for the Crimson Tide
Originally published Sept. 30, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball
What are your thoughts now that you committed? Ready to put on the Alabama uniform now?
I’m excited and relieved, although I know I still have a lot of work to do to compete at the SEC level.
How did Alabama first find you to start recruiting you, do you or they remember?
I think it was around my 8th grade year at the Bolts 5 Star showcase.
When did they actually offer you a scholarship?
They offered me while I was on my official visit, September 10-12th.
Thank you so much @AlabamaSB for an amazing weekend! Shoutout to the best host @jennalord03 And a special thanks to the Bama coaching staff @UACoachMurphy @CoachAlyBAMA @RyanIamurri32 @KNPH1318 #Mudita pic.twitter.com/fRk8KUzuvs
— Kenleigh Cahalan (@CahalanKenleigh) September 12, 2021
*** Scroll down to learn what helped Kenleigh decide that, when it came to Alabama, “it just felt right.”
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Recruiting News: Top 5-Ranked 2023 Infielder Kenleigh Cahalan Stays at Home as She Commits to the Crimson Tide (Just 1 Hour Away!)
Originally published Sept. 25, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball
Kenleigh Cahalan, an outstanding middle infielder who was ranked in the Top 5 of the 2023 Extra Inning Softball released earlier this year, won’t have far to go home for the weekend when she’s in college.
The junior at Hewitt-Trussville High in Trussville Alabama will be just about an hour away when she’s competing for the University of Alabama, the school that Kenleigh committed to on Friday:
I am very thankful and excited to announce that I will be continuing my athletic and academic future with the University of Alabama!There is so many people that helped make this possible! A special thanks to all of my coaches, the Bolts Organization, and my Trussville family! pic.twitter.com/smkpF4Kkzp
— Kenleigh Cahalan (@CahalanKenleigh) September 24, 2021
The athlete’s father, Shane Cahalan, told Extra Inning Softball this morning that picking Alabama checked all the important boxes for the junior.
“Kenleigh said when she was 10-years-old she wanted to play in the SEC,” he explains. “So that was one criteria she worked for but after that she also wanted to be with a program that was close to home and have a chance to win a championship one day… and Bama fit all three boxes.”
“From a parent perspective, the process in itself can be very anxious. The not knowing is really tough on parents, but we told Kenleigh just to work and play the game the way she knew how and everything else would take care of itself, which is a quote that we have instilled in her: ‘Nothing is given, everything is earned.’”
“We could not be happier that she is only an hour away from home and be able to travel down and watch her play more conveniently; this was important to her and us, including her little sister Kali, who has been there and has been Kenleigh’s biggest fan since the beginning!
In May of this year, we ranked Kenleigh as one of the Top 5 players in the Class of 2023… here are excerpts from the bio on her:
T-5—Kenleigh Cahalan, MIF/UT, Birmingham Thunderbolts – Roberson
Kenleigh is a 5-foot-8 middle infielder who plays with a lot of college talent not just for Jay Roberson and his outstanding 16U team, but also for her Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) High team that includes seniors Jenna Lord (Alabama-bound), Crystal Maze (Troy), Anyce Harvey (Middle Tennessee State) and another 2023 Extra Elite 100 standout in infielder Hannah Dorsett. Kenleigh has won championships at both levels as well and does just about everything possible at an elite level. On the softball field is an excellent defender and dangerous triple threat hitter. She’s used to playing older levels of competition and playing at a high level too. Says Coach Roberson: “She can go wherever she wants, every major program in the country will offer her on September 1. I constantly get calls from every SEC school and all the top ranked DI schools.”
Kenleigh has had a fantastic 2021 on the softball fields and seems to just get better and better.
She was named a 2021 Extra Inning Softball 1st Team High School All-Americans (Infielder) after batting .517 with 17 home runs and an amazing 85 RBIs.
Then, over the summer, we tabbed Kenleigh to our Extra Inning Softball 2021 All-Summer Team for 16U after she batted .589 and led the Birmingham Thunderbolts – Roberson team in home runs and doubles while catching fire at PGF Nationals where she hit .608.
Starting this Fall, the junior is playing on Rock Thompson’s 18U Bolts team and will no doubt continue to shine as a one of the best pre-college prospects in the country.
One of the coaches in the Thunderbolts organization, Justin Kaplan, has had a front row seat for the last two years watching Kenleigh in practices and games. He says he’s always been impressed with not just her talent, but her work ethic too.
“Kenleigh is truly an awesome kid and an amazing role model for the girls in the Bolts organization,” he begins. “Her work ethic, smile, skill set and presence at nearly every practice we have sets a great example. Kenleigh is as humble as anyone I’ve seen play the game at that level and has taught my daughter and everyone else at practices a ton! They truly look up to her.”
Kenleigh has been a force on the national scene for years now. Going back three years, to August of 2018, she played on her father’s Birmingham Bolts team at 12U and made the Extra Inning Softball PGF All-Tournament Team.
Last summer, we profiled the Class of 2023 grad in an Extra Star Power article where we compared Kenleigh to another great Alabama native who also went on to play for the Crimson Tide and this year was on the United States Olympic team… here’s that article:
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Extra Star Power: 2023 Extra Elite 100 Infielder Kenleigh Cahalan… All-State as an 8th Grader, She’s Already Being Compared to Fellow Alabama Native Haylie McCleney
Originally published July 22, 2020 on Extra Inning Softball
“Stud,” “Clutch,” “Beast,” “Gamechanger.”
All words frequently used to describe rising sophomore phenom, Kenleigh Cahalan. The 5-foot-8 middle infielder from Birmingham, Alabama native is an integral member of the Birmingham Thunderbolts 03 team, coached by Lowell Barron and, recently, Kenleigh laced up her cleats to help the Birmingham Thunderbolts 18U Premier team, coached by Rocky Thompson, win the Atlanta Legacy championship.
Displaying versatility and a maturity well beyond her age, Kenleigh started every game at third base for the 18U Bolt’s team and was on fire at the plate during the semi-final against Georgia Impact Premier-Lewis 18U, going 3-for-3 with a single, a double and a home run.
Aside from her club team, Kenleigh is also a highly decorated player for Hewitt-Trussville High in Trussville, Alabama, the Class 7A reigning softball state champions.
As a high school freshman during the 2019-2020 campaign, Kenleigh was leading the preseason #1 state-ranked prep team, ranked as high as #7 in some national polls, in batting average at .523 with 20 RBIs and six home runs in only 14 games before the season was abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Following the 2019-2020 shortened season, Kenleigh earned multiple awards as selected by the Alabama Sports Writer’s Association including Birmingham All- Metro, All-Metro Terrific 20 and as an All-State Terrific 20 in Class 7A.
This all as a freshman playing only 14 games!
During the 2018-19 softball state championship series, the 8th grade varsity starter consistently proved to be clutch at the plate. Kenleigh was named to the All-State Tournament Team, giving her the distinction of being the youngest player to earn the award in Alabama Class 7A postseason softball.
During the state championship series, Kenleigh boasted an impressive .542 batting average with 15 RBIs, five doubles and two home runs. She was selected by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as an All-State Honorable Mention selection following her impressive 8th grade season.
The multisport standout also plays basketball, helping her Hewitt-Trussville High varsity hoops team to a runner-up finish during the state championship series in the 2018-2019 season.
Highly decorated Bolt’s assistant coach Joey Hiller, who serves as both head softball and head baseball coach at perennial powerhouse Tattnall Square Academy (GA) says of the 2023 standout, “Kenleigh is a fantastic player. She is aggressive both defensively and offensively, and she has a nice understanding of the game for someone her age.”
“Kenleigh is most impressive at the plate where she shows the ability to deliver the barrel appropriately to all fields with power against all levels of pitching. She is an absolute pleasure to coach.”
When describing Kenleigh, Head Coach Keith Dorsett of the defending 2019 PGF Premier 16U National Championship Birmingham Thunderbolts draws comparisons to another Alabama native, former collegiate four-time All-American for the University of Alabama softball team and current member of Team USA, Haylie McCleney.
According to Dorsett:
“I watched both kids (Cahalan and McCleney) at a young age and Kenleigh reminds me so much of Haylie McCleney hitting.”
Big shoes to fill? Absolutely!
However, all of her coaches agree, Kenleigh is up for whatever challenge may be thrown her way. The countless hours she spends on the field, working to continuously improve her game makes it clear to everyone who watches her that Kenleigh is a special talent.
Once she steps on the field or in the box, she is a fierce competitor displaying focus and maturity beyond her years and consistently delivers at the highest levels. The better the pitching she faces and the bigger the moment, the more the young star steps up and repeatedly produces.
Coach Barron adds:
“Kenleigh is a true 5-tool player with incredible potential. Anyone who knows her abilities and work ethic realizes what a special player she truly is and will be at any level.”
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*** Scroll down read more about Kenleigh including what other sport she did for four years at a high level and also what was her most memorable softball experience…