Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning!
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at info@extrainningsoftball.com and also los.extrainningsoftball@gmail.com.
Here’s our TLI for Tuesday, Feb. 8:
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EXTRA SPOTLIGHT: KARLEIGH “KG” WALKER
C Karleigh “KG” Walker, #56 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, has excelled at the club level for Fury Platinum X 16U-Brown and with McCracken County High. KG talked to Extra Inning Softball recently about the recruiting process, camps, apps and her softball journey.
EXTRA SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Karleigh “KG” Walker
Hometown: Paducah, KY
High School: McCracken County High
Club Team: Fury Platinum X 16U-Brown
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-7
Position: C
Nickname: KG
Twitter: @KGWalker2024
Honors:
All-State Choir; 2021 Kentucky High School Athletic Association Student Scholar (2021); All-District Softball (2021); Regional champions; Extra Inning Softball’s All-Summer Team (2021); #56 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100; and Honorable Mention National Player of the Week by Extra Inning Softball.
Travel Ball Fall Stats:
Hit .345 with 8 doubles, 4 home runs, picked off 7 runners and threw out 50 percent.
High School Ball Stats:
Hit .492 with 53 hits in 108 ABs, 35 RBIs, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, threw out 83 percent (10 of 12) and picked off 9.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them?
I play for the Fury Platinum X-Brown team. Coach Phil (Brown) and I had spoken a few times over the past couple of years. I love what the Fury Platinum organization does for the players and the efforts and importance they place on recruiting and making me a better player. I realized that the organization and the tough schedule they play would put me in the best places to be recruited. I also knew Phil Brown and had played against his teams in the past and knew what he expected and wanted to be a part of that atmosphere. The girls on the team all have a common goal and purpose and that is to play for each other and push to play at the college level.
Can you talk about your recruiting process and what you are planning to do?
My goal is to play college softball and to receive an excellent education. I want to go into the health field; possibly an Orthopedic Surgeon. There are several things I am looking for in a college. A very important aspect is making sure the school’s at the top of my list and offers the degree that I want. I also want to play for a competitive team and coach that will continue to push me to be the best. I am attending or trying to attend camps at the schools that I am interested in. Sometimes it is hard because there will be two or three camps on the same day. As September 1st gets closer, I am trying to focus on fewer schools to make sure they see me at their camps and hopefully have the same interest in me as I do in them. I am excited and nervous at the same time and that grows as it gets closer to the September 1st date. In the end, I want to go somewhere that wants me and will provide the best education possible, while I am having fun playing the game that I love. Competing for a national championship would be the cherry.
Can I get your thoughts on softball camps? What do you get out of them? Is the price worth it?
I personally think camps are good for getting a feel of the chemistry that college has and seeing if your style fits in with theirs. They get to see you in action and you get to see them in action. The best part about camps overall though is taking the small things they do and putting it into your game to improve your skills. These camps do take up a lot of time, but they are definitely worth it. They let colleges get to know you on a personal level and in a different setting. If you go to their camps, they’re more likely to come watch you play, because they know you are interested in their program.
What are your thoughts on all of the apps? Which ones do you use and are they worth the price?
I think all apps that assist with recruiting are very important. They let colleges know how much work you put in on a daily basis and how much time you spend improving all your skills. They also allow colleges to focus on some smaller things from up close that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to see in games. I focus on using Facebook and Twitter for my recruiting. I think these specific apps have helped so much with colleges finding out who I am. With Facebook, they can see all my in-game highlights and on Twitter they see all the work I put in before games to get where I’m at. I have a YouTube channel where I upload videos and game highlights.
The NCSA (Next College Student Athlete) is the one app I use daily. I can post videos and stats. It allows me to send emails directly to coaches and schools and keeps a record of them. This is well worth the cost. My travel team uses AGL (Athletes Go Live). This is a great tool that allows college coaches to watch games live or games that are archived. It allows me to clip videos that coaches can watch. This was a great tool during COVID when colleges weren’t able to attend games.
Can you talk about your daily training routine? Have you added anything new?
My daily routine usually consists of two hours lifting/running/training. Then I’ll throw down or work on some sort of catching drills I can do to improve my game. Following that, I hit about eight good bucket of balls of just tee work. Sometimes I’ll even hit front toss after that. Recently I’ve added more hitting drills to my routine. These are ones I’ve learned from camps and found they personally work for me.
Do you have a secret talent/skill?
My secret talent is singing. Over the years, I’ve been in numerous honor choirs, including All-State Chorus. Currently I sing on the praise team at my church and sing solos, duets and trios with other youth group members.
What’s your most memorable softball story?
There are a lot of memorable moments and people. I have met countless people across this country. I have had so many great teammates and experiences. If I had to pick one memory, it would be the High School Regional semifinals game vs. Marshall County last summer. My high school team has dominated the region for many years. However, we had a few years, including the Covid year, that we were unable to win the region and get to state. Last year, we were not picked to get out of the region. I was a freshman and freshmen normally do not get an opportunity to play much. I became the starting catcher on Day 1 and worked my way up the lineup; starting at 7 and eventually batting clean-up most of the year. Marshall County had won the region the past two years and was favored over us. They also had, I believe seven seniors. The game was intense and we pulled it out 6-4, advancing to the regional championship and eventually to the state tournament. I went 2 for 4 in the game and threw out two runners. I was honored to catch Abigayle Duran, a senior, who threw a great game. At the end of the game with 2 outs, I was able to catch strike 3 swinging. Everyone ran onto the field and Abigayle gave me the biggest hug. It was epic. I will always remember that.
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