Grimes picks Cookeville
After a couple of years of attending camps and shopping around for a college, Gordon Lee sophomore Paxton Grimes says she has found a home in Cookeville, Tenn.
The third baseman gave a verbal commitment to play for the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech University once her time in Chickamauga is finished.
Grimes has been a starter at third base since her first game in Navyand-White. Last year, as a freshman, she hit .364 with 10 doubles, three triples and five homers. She also knocked in 39 runs and earned first team Class 2A All-State honors as the Lady Trojans won the state championship.
This past season, Grimes put up similar numbers, batting .371 out of the clean-up slot with eight doubles, a triple and four homers. She knocked in 29 runs and scored 32 times.
Those totals were good enough to garner a second straight All-State first team nod and Grimes picked up a second state championship ring as the Lady Trojans won the Class A Public School state title.
“I went up there, saw the school and met the coaches,” she said of her visit to the Tennessee Tech campus. “I loved the school. It’s really beautiful and the coaches were great, so I decided that’s where I wanted to go. A lot of people don’t realize how pretty it is until they go up there and see it. It was really amazing.”
Grimes said she had talked to some smaller schools, but ultimately chose Tennessee Tech over another Division I program in Georgia Southern.
“Anytime we can have a kid go on to play at the next level, it’s great for them and their education and it’s great for our program,” Gordon Lee head coach Dana Mull said. “I’m happy that she’ll get to play Division I softball and I think (Tennessee Tech) will be a good fit for her. I think she’ll do great.”
Grimes said that the Golden Eagles are looking for her to play middle infield at the next level.
Her pledge gives Gordon Lee confirmed Division I commitments from three players going into next season. Rising senior Gracey Kruse, the Class A Player of the Year, has verbally committed to Chattanooga, while rising senior Canaan Burnett, the Class A Pitcher of the Year, has committed to Stetson.