Gov. Mifflin’s Shank will attend Florida International
Kendall Shank enjoyed the kind of breakout softball season last spring that made a lot of people take notice.
During her junior year at Gov. Mifflin, Shank had nearly 1.6 strikeouts per inning and a 1.77 earned run average to help Gov. Mifflin qualify for the Berks County and District 3 playoffs.
The recognition of Shank’s big season stretched to Florida, where she will continue her athletic and academic careers at Florida International University in Miami.
“I chose FIU because of the big university feel and the great academic and athletic opportunities,” Shank said. “It gives me the chance to compete at a very high level. I really enjoyed being around the coaches while there and talking with them afterward.”
Shank already is playing at a high level. In addition to pitching for the Mustangs,
Shank played for the 2019 Berks/Lancaster-Lebanon Carpenter Cup team and plays travel softball for Team Long Island out of New York.
“We compete at some of the biggest tournaments in the country and are ranked as one of the top teams in the country,” Shank said.
During her junior season, Shank, a hard-throwing right-hander, had 153 strikeouts in 96 innings. She also had a big year at the plate, batting .508 with a .571 onbase percentage with 31 hits and 22 RBIs. She was voted to the Berks I team and twice was named to the Extra Innings National Player of the Week honor roll.
Shank is focused on softball and looking to have another big season for the Mustangs next spring.
“I put several hours a week after school into pitching with my pitching coach, personal trainer and regular workouts,” Shank said.
Shank said she plans to major in sports management.
She chose FIU, a member of Conference USA, over George Mason, Hofstra, Connecticut, La Salle, Stony Brook, North Carolina-Wilmington and Binghamton.