Edwards Shining In Every Aspect Of The Game
March 05, 2024 | Softball
Freshman Bulldog enjoying early success in Starkville.
STARKVILLE – Kylee Edwards' competitive fire and passion for the game shined brightly during Mississippi State's sweep of the Bulldog Invitational.
The freshman from Waldron, Indiana, has recorded four homers in her first collegiate season to go along with a plethora of outstanding web gems at shortstop.
"Kylee's special. She really is," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She's such an athlete. Overall, everything she does is just so dynamic. She's explosive. She's fast. She's powerful, and she's got a big arm."
Edwards displayed her power and explosiveness in front of the Maroon and White faithful by turning multiple double plays and swinging her bat with confidence at the plate. The talented freshman recorded five hits during the Bulldog Invitational, one of which was a grand slam to secure the 5-2 win over Troy on Saturday.
"The past couple of games I've struggled at the plate, so I just went back to the basics," Edwards said. "I was pretty locked in all game. I knew if she was going to throw me that changeup, I was going to hit it, so I was prepared for that pitch."
Before arriving in Starkville, Edwards made waves during her time in high school. She was ranked as the No. 9 infielder in her class via Extra Inning Softball and was selected as a USA Elite All-American three years in a row from 2016-2018.
The fierceness and determination that Edwards carries have been integral traits of her personality on and off the field. Her competitive mentality helps light a fire underneath her fellow teammates surrounding her on the diamond as well.
"She wants to hit every ball hard, make every out she gets, and it's awesome because it feeds off to everyone around her," Ricketts said. "It helps raise the competitiveness of the team, and it's been fun to watch her continue to get more comfortable."
Through the first 20 games of the season, Edwards has posted a .333 batting average with 16 hits and four homers. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to Edwards' comfortability in the infield and at the plate.
Edwards is still growing in multiple aspects of her game, however.
"She's continuing to learn, and we kind of knew that would happen with a freshman playing the majority of the innings at shortstop," Ricketts said. "She's learning when she needs to take her time, when she needs to get rid of the ball quickly and the different speeds that we face on all these different teams."
After the road trips to Mexico and California for back-to-back tournaments, Edwards and the Bulldogs were finally able to return to the comfort of their beds and on their home field.
In her first season playing in front of the Bulldog faithful at Nusz Park, Edwards has felt right at home.
"We love it here, and we love the fans," Edwards said. "Being here at State, it's just a different environment. We're so happy to be back."
