CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Head coach Shannon Wathen has totaled the Lady Tiger softball recruiting class to six with the addition of four recent signees for 2020-21 and the last to be announced this fall is first basemen Keely Bowling.
Bowling, a 5-foot-7 first basemen from Boyle County High School, was a 2019 All-District, All-Region and Second-Team All-State performer.
"I started wanting to go there since eighth grade when I went to a camp. I've always had a passion for it," she said about the decision. "Then when I saw Katy (Grace Chadwell) go there and just her word with how she's loved it. I just kept going back and every time I'd go back it was pure joy."
"It's just a great testament to Keely and the effort she's put in the last three years with us," Boyle County coach Brian Deem said. "It's a testament to how hard she's worked over the summer in travel ball. It's a testament to our program. Our kids are committed and driven to excel at the highest levels they can."
After hitting .313 and .315, respectively, as a freshman and sophomore, Bowling crushed the ball as a junior hitting .410 with 10 home runs and drove in 35 RBI. In addition, she tallied 10 doubles and 10 walks.
Throughout her career, the power hitter has crushed 29 home runs, tallied 29 doubles and has walked 43 times. In addition, she's drove in 113 runs in three years.
"She's going to come in and help us," said Wathen. "Obviously she swings the bat very well. She's good defensively and is a great student which always makes things easier."
Boyle County has won the District title the last two years and won region the past three. Bowling was also an East/West Junior All-Star after last season's numbers.
The signing marks the third Rebel to go to Campbellsville in the last five years. In 2016, Kalin Bottoms joined the Tigers and this year, Bowling's teammate Katy Grace Chadwell will be a freshman on the team. That pipeline is something that both coaches feel like benefits their teams, and will make Bowling's transition a little easier.
"Boyle County has some great players," Wathen said. "They're well coached and they play at a high level and compete at a high level. They play a tough schedule. They're ready to come in and play or help and compete. That's the biggest thing — they know what it takes to be successful both on the field and in the classroom. That's what we're looking for. We want kids who will be a good fit and are committed athletically and academically and that's what you find here at Boyle County."
"To see Katy and Keely and Kalin — all three of them to go through Campbellsville — it's good for us. Campbellsville's a quality program. They're national contenders in NAIA and it's a good fit for our kids. Hopefully we can continue to develop a pipeline to send our kids. I think Katy and Keely definitely gel in two years when they're both there. To be able to sit back and watch that happen is a beautiful thing."
In addition to her softball career, Bowling is an avid basketball player for the Rebels. She finished 13th in the state by averaging 2.8 3-pointers per game and shot 41.5 percent from behind the arc her junior season.
Academically, Bowling has a perfect 4.0 GPA and her 28+ score on the ACT qualified her to attend the ACT Gala.
She plans to major in Criminal Justice while at Campbellsville.
Bowling becomes the sixth signee for the Lady Tigers this fall.
Kaylee Bowling, Boyle County
Taylor Windell, Union County
Hadlee Carter, Webster County
Bailey Richardson, Central Hardin
Morgan Carter, Macon County
Madi Gregory, Allen-County Scottsville
