RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Is there any great thrill individually for a hitter than to smack a walk-off home run?
Well, perhaps if it’s a walk-off grand slam… and it’s in SEC play against another Top 20 ranked team!
That was the case last Sunday as the University of Tennessee hosted Texas A&M and, trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the 7th inning, saw graduate catcher Kelcy Leach end the game on her fourth home run of the season, but certainly the most dramatic one!
Here’s video of the game-ending shot:
🗣 LET'S GO HOME!
– @_kelcyann, probably pic.twitter.com/mG7vD8j0IR
— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) April 17, 2022
And another video compilation with a fairly excited announcer in Brian Rice!
Watching this on repeat 🔁
🗣 @briancrice pic.twitter.com/3PXJ1o7EvE
— Tennessee Softball (@Vol_Softball) April 18, 2022
Here’s what the backstop said after her big blast to give her team the exciting victory:
“It was great,” Kelcy commented in a release issued by the Vols after the win. “I think I was blessed with the opportunity. That only happened because my teammates made the situation happen. Zaida (Puni) starting off the inning like that and taking that extra base was huge.”
“Everybody else having quality at-bats, it’s a very rare moment that you can feel so free in that type of situation. My teammates helped set that up for me and I had confidence that the person behind me was going to do the same thing. That’s really a great feeling.”
Since that game, the Vols finished out a sweep over A&M on Monday before losing Wednesday night to Virginia Tech but no matter what happens for the rest of the year, Kelcy—who has an impressive .990 fielding percentage with 180 put-outs and 16 assists this season against just two errors behind the plate—will always have the thrill of this week’s walk-off game-winning blast.
We’ve been fortunate to have covered Kelcy and the Leach family for over a decade in softball:
Older sister Aubrey Leach was a multi-year All-American at UT from 2016 to 2019 before playing professionally and is now a grad assistant with the Vols as she works on a law degree.
Next came, Kelcy who we featured in a photo along with Aubrey and Shelby “Goose” McGlaun, another player on their team back in 2016, who went on to have a great career at Baylor:
Finally, the youngest of the talented softball family, twin outfielders Alannah and Gabby Leach, who were ranked in the Top 20 of the latest 2023 Extra Elite 100, came along and showed that they too had the great softball genes.
Kelcy actually started her college career at Texas Tech before transferring to Tennessee last year and then the family made it a total Vols family affair when the twins announced last Fall that they would be the 3rd and 4th of the talented Leach girls to play for Rocky Top.
Below are articles we’ve run on ALL FOUR of the Leach siblings previously, including how athletes 2-through-4 in the family ended up in Knoxville and continue to add to the Leach legacy in Orange & White!
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Throwback Thursday: Tennessee All-American Aubrey Leach from March 2014!
Originally published July 12, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball
One of the benefits of having covered fastpitch at the club and high school level is you get to follow players from their very young days up through college, pro and international success.
We’ll periodically do a Throwback Thursday look at some of today’s superstars when they were young and upcoming.
Today, we go back to more than four years ago to cover a then junior in high school, Aubrey Leach from The Woodlands, Texas.
Aubrey has been one of my favorite players to watch grow up, because of her sweet disposition off the field and her fierce will to exceed on the dirt.
She went on to be ranked as a 1st Team All-American as a senior when she hit .594 with 55 runs scored and 49 steals. I also ranked her as the #22 player in the Class of 2015 and she was in the first class of the Louisville Slugger Hit Club that also included future stars such as Amanda Lorenz of Florida, Shay Knighten of Oklahoma and Mac Boesel of South Carolina.
As a junior this year at Tennessee, Aubrey earned 1st Team All-American honors as she led the SEC in batting average at .441 and runs scored with 80 while ranking second in the conference with 82 hits and a .565 on-base percentage.
Kudos to one of the nicest players and people you’ll ever meet… and one of the most competitive!
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
This was an article originally written in March, 2014…
Name: AUBREY LEACH
Grad Year: 2015
Pos: 2B/OF
High School: The Woodlands (Texas)
Club: Texas Sudden Impact Gold-Dutton
Stats hitting (jr. through March 18) .547, 31 runs, 19 RBI, four triples, three home runs, 23 steals
Honors: MaxPreps 2013 Underclass All-American, 1st Team Class 5A All-State, District 14-5A All-District Offensive MVP
College: Tennessee
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Your dad, Todd, is one of the Sudden Impact Gold coaches… what are the plusses and minuses of that? (don’t worry, he won’t read this!)
Plusses: my biggest fan is always with me, we think the same way for the most part in the aspects of the game, high expectations. Minuses: my expectations are set very high, it’s not easy being the coaches daughter, you get extra pressure.
You had a stellar sophomore season, how is this year comparing to last year’s so far?
This year has started out great! I feel like I have started off where i left off last season. I have really tried to tie my game together better, in the aspects of hitting, slapping, and even the small ball bunting game. I have actually hit my first home run this season! and I was slapping when I hit it! Along with my first one I have hit two others which have really helped me become more of a triple threat.
Looking at your stat line, the thing that jumps out is the average and the steals… is Tennessee looking at you as a top of the order, table setter?
Yes! we have talked extensively about where they see me playing and the top of the order was where I’m set to be. (as long as I earn my spot of course).
Tell us how you were first seen by the Vols coaches, then how long until they offered?
I was seen by Karen & Ralph Weekly in one of Derek Allister`s OnDeck Softball camps late July and again at the On Deck National Futures Camp in October of 2012, I committed that next January during an unofficial visit.
When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
I committed in early January of my sophomore year. The decision felt right, it filled my main requirements for a college. The University of Tennessee offered a GREAT D1 softball program, an AMAZING nationally recognized coaching staff, beautiful campus, great fundamental principles of faith, education, and future preparations for my later years after college.
How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
I was on my unofficial visit. We sat down with the coaches and discussed where they see me in their game plan and how I would be of benefit to the program. After the meeting we were almost out the door and I said to my Dad that I didn’t need to visit any more schools because this is home and this is where I want to be.
Describe your emotions around telling them, were you more nervous or more excited?
Excitement overrode being nervous! It was mostly relief that the process was over, I had accomplished a goal I have been working for most of my softball career!
Going out of state, was location a factor at all in your decision at all?
Not a huge deciding factor, I am not originally from Texas (I’m from Missouri) and Tennessee is a lot like Missouri so the distance wasn’t a problem.
Evaluate yourself (scouting report): What makes you an SEC player and, on the other side, what areas of your game are you working to improve?
I think I read and understand the game very well. I am one who hates to lose more than I like to win, I am very competitive. I would also say my work ethic is a huge part of my success; I’m always working to make myself better, because if I’m not someone else is.
What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
One top memory of mine would be finishing 5th in the nation at ASA Nationals with my team! This was so great being the last Texas team and it pushes us to come back and do better the next years! Also, being invited and competing in the On Deck Softball National Elite Futures Camp in California, 70 of the top uncommitted softball players from around the country worked out and competed against each other in front of over 100 D1 College Coaches. It was a great learning experience.
QUICK HITTERS
What is the best part of being a softball player?
I love being a softball player because of the physical demand needed for absolute success. This sport uses your arms, legs, and mind in all aspects of the game!
Fill in the blank… What drives me is:______
… the desire to be successful.
What do you think is the No. 1 issue in the world today?
Extremism.
Favorite food:
Chicken… anything with chicken!
Least favorite food:
Hamburgers
Favorite place in the world:
Anywhere in nature away from the city
If you weren’t playing softball, what would replace all that time?
Probably another sport… I don’t think I could ever get away from competition!
What type of bat do you use (and why you like it)?
DeMarini Insane: the balance throughout the bat along with the flex of the handle.
Describe your personality off the field in one word:
Complex.
What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
My grandmother played professional baseball for the Rockford Peaches!
Being a Texan, name something from your state that makes you proud to say you’re from there…
Everything is bigger in Texas!
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?
Scooby-snacks!!!!!!!
Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals you go through?
I wear my sliding shorts inside out! I have bracelets which I wear everyday… they don’t come off (about three years running!). I put my socks on the same way every time along with wearing two pairs and I always have a braid in my hair.
Do you see yourself as a role model to younger players?
Yes, I strive had to be a good role model. I have worked with many developing ball players and love teaching them the fundamentals of the game.
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College Transfer News: Kelcy Leach, Younger Sister of Tennessee Vols Legend Aubrey Leach, is Headed to Rocky Top
Originally published July 21, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball
Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly has announced the signing of graduate transfer Kelcy Leach.
The catcher from The Woodlands, Texas, will join the Lady Vol program in January of 2022 after finishing up her bachelor’s degree in management at Texas Tech.
“Kelcy is exceptional behind the plate and a field general in every aspect,” Weekly said. “She’s really good at handling a staff and knowing how to communicate with each pitcher. I love her team-first mentality. Her knowledge and experience make her a great addition to our program.”
A three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, Leach played in 157 games with 139 starts for the Red Raiders over the course of her four seasons in Lubbock. From 2018-21, she averaged .229 with 77 hits, eight doubles, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .438 slugging percentage.
The experienced backstop is known for her prowess and reliability behind the plate. Leach has caught 29 baserunners stealing for her career—doing so at a .563 clip (9-for-16) during her most recent campaign this past spring. She also holds a .990 career field percentage, achieving a personal-best .995 mark in 2021.
Leach is the younger sister of former Lady Vol All-American Aubrey Leach (2016-19), UT’s all-time career leader in runs scored (253) and walks (162).
Additionally, the newcomer Leach will have a familiar face in the clubhouse in Erin Edmoundson, another graduate transfer from Texas Tech with 54 career wins and more than 500 career strikeouts who signed with Tennessee two weeks ago.
Extra Inning Softball note: Brentt Eads had Kelcy ranked as a Top 100 player in the 2017 Extra Elite 100… here’s the write-up he did on her from May of 2016:
71—Kelcy Leach C/3B… Texas Sudden Impact (Texas Tech)
If the Leach name is familiar, it’s because Kelcy is the younger sister of Aubrey Leach, a 1st Team All-American and member of the Louisville Slugger Hit Club last year who is having a great freshman campaign at the Univ. of Tennessee. However, unlike her infielder sister, Kelcy is a power-hitting catcher with excellent defensive skills and an advanced softball IQ to where she has regularly called her own games. The Texan was the District Newcomer of the Year as a freshman when she hit .341 with 10 homers and hasn’t looked back, making the State Tournament Final Four and Championship Game the last two years and being named as the Texas State Championship All-Tournament Team catcher selection. However, Kelcy will miss the rest of the playoffs this year as she fractured a bone in her hand from a foul tipped ball in the team’s last district game. She finished her junior year hitting .419 with 47 RBI, third best at the 6A level.
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College News: With This Week’s Commitments of Twins Alannah & Gabby Leach, Tennessee Will Have Four Sisters Suit Up for the Vols
Originally published Oct. 28, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball
Tennessee Vols Head Coach Karen Weekly could only hope that the Leach family from The Woodlands, Texas had more talented softball-playing daughters to recruit.
As it is, with the verbal commits this week of the youngest girls, twins Alannah and Gabby, that means four of Todd and Kaye Leach’s athletic girls will have suited up to play for the Vols and Head Coach Karen Weekly.
First there was Aubrey Leach, the two-time All-American infielder who played from 2016-19 and finished her prolific college career as the Vols’ all-time leader in runs (253) and walks (162) while ranking second in program history in career on-base percentage (.503).
In August, Aubrey returned to the school and is working as a grad assistant while working on her legal degree.
“Aubrey is one of the most driven and goal-oriented student-athletes I have ever coached, and her work ethic is unmatched,” Coach Weekly said. “She will bring those same attributes to our staff as a GA and provide a terrific role model for the current Lady Vols.”
The eldest of the four softball siblings played professionally the two years after graduating, first with Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in 2019 and then with the initial season of Athletes Unlimited in 2020, finishing 17th of the league’s 57 players in the points-based system
“I’m very excited about returning to Knoxville and the University of Tennessee,” Leach said in a release put up by UT when it was announced she was returning to her alma mater. “Even more so, I’m excited about helping Karen and the team in this new chapter for Tennessee softball. I’m thankful for the opportunity to give back to a program that provided so many opportunities for me.”
A month earlier, the SEC school announced the transfer of the second oldest sister, Kelcy Leach, a catcher who transferred in from Texas Tech and of whom Coach Weekly commented when the move was announced:
“Kelcy is exceptional behind the plate and a field general in every aspect,” Weekly said. “She’s really good at handling a staff and knowing how to communicate with each pitcher. I love her team-first mentality. Her knowledge and experience make her a great addition to our program.”
The backstop will join the Lady Vol program in January of 2022 after finishing up her bachelor’s degree in management at Texas Tech.
On Tuesday, the two younger siblings made it official that they too would be heading to Rocky Top when they announced via Twitter that they had committed:
GO VOLS🧡🤍@KarenWeekly @KateMalveaux @CoachMalveaux @Vol_Softball @sifastpitch @TWHSSoftball @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/f01jBkFO1J
— Alannah Leach (@AlannahLeach) October 26, 2021
Go Vols🍊🧡
@KarenWeekly @CoachMalveaux @KateMalveaux @Vol_Softball @sifastpitch @TWHSSoftball @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/PD5Xf3DD7f— Gabby Leach (@leach_gabby) October 26, 2021
It’s not like the Vols are throwing them a bone because of their talented older siblings, either; both Alanna and Gabby were ranked in the Top 20 of the 2023 Extra Elite 100 rankings.In their bios from earlier in 2021, it was noted that:
Alannah and Gabby are both 5-tool players although Alannah shades a bit more to the short game but loves to swing away and hit the gaps. This high school season, Alannah has hit over .500 and some who’ve followed them both feel the twins have “the stuff like Aubrey has” to be Top 10 prospects in their family before they graduate in a few years.
Gabby tends to sit and drive the ball move than her twin Alannah, but she can also drop a bunt, hit the 5/6 hole with a slap or even go for the fences (Gabby had her first grand slam this spring in high school ball). Gabby and Alannah both have good speed and are a threat on the base paths stealing bases. Their speed is also showcased in the outfield tracking down flyballs and both siblings have very strong arms with phenomenal accuracy. This Spring for her high school team, Gabby has it .424 with a strong on-base percentage of .548.
The youngest sisters currently player for their father in the Texas Sudden Impact organization; the athletes’ father has been a club coach for close to two decades.
Aubrey, it should be noted, will still be at the university finishing up her last year of law school while Kelcy will have finished her playing eligibility when the twins hit the campus to start their college careers in two years.
Some younger siblings don’t like to follow in the shadow of an accomplished older family member; we asked the twins if that was a factor at all—following Aubrey to Tennessee.
Specifically, did they like the fact they could follow in their big sisters’ footsteps or was it a concern at all?
“It was really awesome watching Aubrey play for the Lady Vols, and she would talk to us about the opportunities and support she received that helped her become an All-American and an Academic All-American at Tennessee,” Alannah and Gabby explained.
“Aubrey said Tennessee was a great environment to grow as a player and as a student, and we are so thankful that she was so successful and was able to open doors for us so we could make the right decision in schools. We are also lucky to have our other sister Kelcy play for the Lady Vols this Spring season as a graduate transfer, and she will be able pass on advice to us like Aubrey did.”
“We really don’t feel like we were trying to follow in their footsteps but rather we all found a school that met our needs and promotes our growth academically, spiritually, and athletically. We are truly excited about becoming a Lady Vol, and we are thankful and ready to write our own history at Tennessee.”
You get the impression that, family legacy or not, the twins would have found Tennessee to be their choice regardless.
“We decided on Tennessee for many reasons,” they added. “The atmosphere at Tennessee is truly amazing and the university is one of, if not the best university, to support their female student athletes and they treat them so well in every aspect.”
“Getting the opportunity to play at a SEC school and compete against the best softball players is an opportunity we could not pass up.”
“Also, we feel that Coach Karen and her coaching staff are great coaches and even better people that truly care about us. We believe they can help us improve on our skills to be able to compete at the highest level.”
“Becoming Lady Vols is a dream come true and an opportunity to continue the legacy of the ones that came before us.”