Courtesy of Kennesaw State Athletics – Libby Knight
KENNESAW, Ga. – Second-year head coach Wes Holly Jr. announced the addition of four student-athletes, including pitcher Shayla Cravens (Sellersburg, Ind./Silver Creek HS), catcher Emily Bishop (Marshall, Ill./Lake Land College), infielder Chandler Griffin (Dacula, Ga./Troy) and utility player Hillary Kartman (Fort Wayne, Ind./IPFW), to the Kennesaw State softball roster for the upcoming 2014-15 season.
“I am excited about this entire class,” said Holly, Jr. “I think this class will blend well with the current roster. They are very good group of young ladies and understand what we are trying to accomplish here at Kennesaw State. They are eager to get going and help the big picture. Each one of these ladies will bring a unique characteristic for the team’s growth and as a group they are very energetic and ready to get to work.”
With the addition of Bishop, Cravens, Griffin and Kartman, the Owls’ class of 2014-15 now moves to six student-athletes joining the lineup, including infielder Devan Brown (Ringgold, Ga./Ringgold HS) and outfielder Noelle Winkles (Ringgold, Ga./Baylor School).
A four-year member of the Silver Creek High School softball team, Cravens was one of the most decorated athletes at SCHS, earning the Gold Arm Award for Best Pitcher all four years of high school, as well as being named All-Area honorable mention as a sophomore, third-team as a junior and First-team as a senior. In her final season with the Dragons, Cravens was named the team Most Valuable Player after recording the most strikeouts in the Mid-Southern Conference and posting a batting average above .300. With her Kentucky Outrage travel ball team, Cravens led her team to a fifth place showing at the 2008 USSSA Word Series and a third place finish at the 2010 ESPN Rise Games.
Coach Holly, Jr. on Cravens:
“Shayla is a freshman pitcher that has the ability to keep the ball down and will bring another dimension to the pitching staff. We are looking for her to come in and use the fall to get collegiate experience, so that she can give us strong innings in the spring.”
A talented catcher from Lake Land Junior College in Illinois, Bishop earned Region 24 Player of the Year honors in 2013 as well as being named an Academic All-American and First-Team All-Region as a sophomore in 2014. In high school, she starred for Marshall High School, posting the highest team batting average as both a junior and senior. Following her junior and senior seasons, Bishop was named First-Team All-Little Illini Conference as well as to the Terre Haute Tribune Star All-Wabash Valley Team.
Coach Holly on Bishop:
“Emily is an experienced junior college catcher and will help lead the team on and off the field. She is a mature young lady with good work ethic that will make an immediate impact in our catching rotation.”
Griffin, who started her collegiate career at Troy before transferring to Kennesaw State for her junior season, played in 35 games and started 27 for the Trojans last season. She posted a .139 batting average, with 11 hits, 11 runs, four doubles, one home run and six RBIs as a sophomore. Griffin was among one of top freshman hitters in the Sun Belt Conference in 2013. She started 51 games and finished with a .290 batting average with three home runs, 11 doubles and 26 RBIs. She also led the Trojans with 47 base hits and 12 multi-hit games, including three three-hit performances against Georgia State, UMKC and North Texas in her rookie campaign. Prior to Troy, Griffin was a standout player at Mill Creek High School, earning all-state honors as a senior and helping MCHS to a runner-up finish in Class AAAAA.
Coach Holly on Griffin:
“Chandler is a seasoned Division I middle infielder that will make an impact both defensively and offensively in the growth of the team. We look for her to fill some roles left behind from the graduating class. She brings a lot of passion and softball knowledge that will help our younger players handle the challenge of playing at the next level.”
Another Division I transfer, Kartman comes to Kennesaw after two seasons at IPFW, where she played in all 105 games, starting all but one contest for the Mastodons. As a sophomore, Kartman registered a .253 batting average after posting 45 hits, 10 doubles, eight homeruns and 32 RBIs. During her rookie season at IPFW, she owned a .245 average, collecting 36 hits and 28 RBIs. A member of the Homestead High School softball team, Kartman set the school record for hits and led HHS to the sectional championship game during her junior season, while also earning First Team All-Northeast Hoosier Conference honors.
Coach Holly, Jr. on Kartman:
“Hillary is another Division I player that is versatile in the field and gives us more depth in offensive lineup. Hillary brings a positive attitude and a strong will to win.”
