LADY GATORS’ KEGLEY MVP
Foreman’s Lady Gators rewrote the Arkansas softball records books while winning the Class 2A state championship, and junior pitcher Crystal Kegley was a big part of the team’s success.
Foreman won their seventh
state championship, extending that number to two over North Little Rock’s five title, scored the most runs (335) and had the most hits (440), the latter two vastly eclipsing the previous marks of 268 and 340, respectively. The Lady Gators also set record marks in singles (243), RBI (284), batting average (.440), slugging percentage (.667), and stolen bases (260).
Kegley was 27-4 in the circle and also hit .589 with 63 hits, 68 RBI, a .610 on-base percentage, and 1.149 slugging to earn her Gazette All-Area Player of the Year for 2014.
“You couldn’t have asked for a better fit for the team to come together like it did,” Foreman coach Richard McMillan said about the success the Lady Gators experienced. “In Crystal’s case, as with the rest of them, their work ethic is impeccable. I have very few I have to keep my thumb on as far as getting their best best out them. They hold themselves to a higher standard, and she’s right there with them.
“Crystal understands the game; she’s played a lot of ball. He parents have done a great job of getting her exposed to a high level and supported her in making her the player that she is. I think the strength training helped carry her over the top. When you mix all that together with her ability, her heart, she was amazing for us.”
Kegley has individual state records of RBI, slugging percentage, and hits, and she led the state in wins, was second in strikeouts, and among the top four in ERA.
She is the first to give credit to her teammates, her coach, her private pitching coach, and the community. McMillan, a veteran in his first year with the program, started a weight lifting and speed and footwork workouts for the team at 5:30 a.m. five days a week.
“We had a better work ethic this year; we had workouts at 5:30 in the morning everyday, and that had a very big impact on what we accomplished,” Kegley said. “At first none of us liked it, but once we started seeing how much better we were hitting and how much stronger we were, we actually appreciated it because we saw the benefits.
“Coach McMillan has defi-
nitely had an impact on us,” she added. “The past two years, we’ve fallen short of what we wanted. Coach McMillan has pushed us to be better. My teammates have backed me up as a pitcher; this is the strongest team I’ve ever had. The way we’ve bonded together has been a big part of our success, and we love the game.”
Kegley, who plans to continue her academic and softball careers at the collegiate level after next season, credits her pitching coach, Paul Copeland, who has worked with her for nearly seven years, as a big influence on her performances and successes.
“Everything I’ve done is in part for him,” she said. “He deserves for me to be successful because he has taught me more and more about the game. Everything I’ve learned about pitching, I’ve learned from him. This year meant a lot to me because I only had two years left (in high school); now just one. It’s time to really step up and be at my best.”
Kegley, who has pitched since her freshman year for the Gators, said she would not have had the year she had without her teammates.
“We’re not just position players, so if someone got hurt we could move people around without falling off,” Kegley said. “Our depth has helped us a lot. I feel like I am a leader to the team. I see younger girls coming up, and I feel like I have to be at my best and do my best to make sure they’re at their best.
“I thank God for the talent he has given me. I feel like he has blessed me with talent, great support, and a great team.”
With the talent up and down the lineup and in the dugout, McMillan wanted Kegley to take the pressure off herself, no matter the situation, and just pitch.
“Crystal was lights out for us,” McMillan said. “A lot of that was that she was able to take the pressure off herself because she had a great support group. She was able to relax and go play, and her focus in the circle was on the pitch and the location. I told her that’s all she needed to worry about; her job was to throw the pitch where it’s supposed to be. I’m sure Paul (Copeland) has told her that, as well.
“She was able to relax because we played solid defense and she knew we were going to be capable of scoring runs, also,” McMillan said. “So if she did make a mistake or if they made an error, we were going to be able to overcome it. All year, her team was there for her.”