Ringgold’s Layne set to suit up for softball at Middle Georgia State
Versatile. Athlete. Clutch. Just three of the words used to describe Ringgold senior Taylor Layne as she signed paperwork to continue her softball career with the Knights of Middle Georgia State University this past Wednesday night.
“This means a lot to me,” Layne said. “Ever since I started playing ball, this has always been my goal. I’m honestly proud of myself. I’m excited for what the future holds and for the chance to make something of myself.”
Layne’s athleticism has been on display for the Lady Tigers for the past four seasons, but she already had a reputation as a top athlete well before she first suited up for the Blue-and-White.
One story being told in the RHS Score Room was of a travel ball tournament she played in at the age of 12. Playing left field, Layne scooped up a base hit and fired the ball all the way to first base where the hitter was tagged out after making too big of a turn at the bag.
Layne went on to make that throw five more times over the course of the tournament, getting an out five more times.
She also hauled in the final out at Franklin County to give Ringgold its first of back-to-back Class AAA state championships in 2019.
In four years, Layne hit .321 with eight doubles, one triple and two homeruns. She drove in 37 runs and scored 61 times with 22 stolen bases and made just eight errors. In the circle, she finished with a career 3.64 ERA in over 221 innings and struck out 66 batters. She also went 6-2 for Ringgold this season.
A three-time All-Region second team selection, she was a GACA All-State second team pick as a sophomore.
“She’s another one that’s just an ultimate team player,” Ringgold head coach Daniel Hackett explained, “and she’s had the skill and talent to step in (at pitcher) and pick up the slack when we’ve needed it. Anytime we needed her to come in, she was ready to pitch, and she kept herself healthy enough that she could go long distances in games and we never had to worry about her arm.
“Of course we did keep an eye on her because she didn’t pitch all the time, but she always wanted the ball. She’s the kind of player that wants the ball all the time and she didn’t care where we put her.”
Head coach Steve Chattin of ProStar fastpitch, Layne’s travel ball team, said he believes
the Knights are leaning toward trying her in the outfield first, but added that the team hasn’t ruled out playing her on the infield or giving her some spot-duty innings as a pitcher.
“She’s a five-tool athlete,” he said when asked what will make Layne a successful college player. “She has power,
speed, a strong arm and she’s capable of playing multiple positions. She possesses a lot of God-given ability and she plays the game hard.”
Layne said she loved the atmosphere surrounding the Middle Georgia program.
“I like the family they have there,” she added. “They’re not just teammates, they’re
family. (The school) is kind of small and they say the professors genuinely care, as well as the coaches. I just think it’s a good fit for me. I think (I’ll bring) some leadership and definitely some skill.”
Layne said she is leaning toward studying something in the medical field as her goal is a career in anesthesiology.