ROCKINGHAM — When the pandemic shortened her sophomore season to three games last spring, Kenleigh Frye’s college recruitment process was also put on hold.
But the Richmond Senior High School junior softball player took advantage of the extra down time, which paid off this week.
On Thursday, Frye announced she was verbally committing to continue her academic and athletic career at Wingate University.
“Super excited to announce that I have verbally committed to play softball at Wingate University! I’d like to thank everyone that has helped and supported me along the way. Go Bulldogs!” Frye tweeted.
The most recent Lady Raider to commit to play at the college level, Frye adds her name to a long list of former and current Richmond players who have also done so the last handful of years.
Current senior Kearston Bruce is committed to Bridgewater College, and junior teammate Allyiah Swiney verbally committed to play for Duke University earlier in her career. All three members of Richmond’s graduating class of 2019 went on to play college ball, too.
Gaining interest from several college programs, the left-handed hitting infielder also had an offer from the University of Mount Olive.
“I’m really excited to say I’m going to college to play softball,” Frye said. “Wingate was my top choice and it felt like the right choice for me. It didn’t take too long to decide.
“Now that I’m committed, it takes a lot of pressure off me,” she added. “I don’t have to worry about the amount of coaches calling or being stressed out. I can have fun and enjoy the game with my teammates.”
Frye explained that she really liked the Wingate coaching staff and said head coach Jamie Stanclift and assistant Chaley Brickey did a lot for her. It was that bond Frye created with the coaches, as well as the campus and the team’s facilities, that led her to choose Wingate.
For most high school student-athletes, their sophomore and junior seasons are imperative to being recruited. Frye played a handful of games last spring, and her junior campaign has been cut down to just over a dozen games this year.
Frye admitted that it was a challenge to try and connect with programs and coaches because of the limitations caused by COVID-19, but her childhood dream of playing college softball was more important.
Wingate first made contact with Frye last fall, and she went on her first visit to the school’s campus on October 16. Ahead of Monday’s game against Hoke County, Frye got a phone call with the Bulldogs’ official offer.
“There are fewer 2022 players being recruited because of players coming back with an extra year of eligibility,” Frye explained. “It was hard because there were only a certain number of teams recruiting, so I had to be one of the best to be recruited.
“I kept working hard, and during those couple months of quarantine, I lifted weights and got stronger,” she added. “I was hitting twice every day in the cage and I really grew in the game and studied it.”
A starter for the Lady Raiders since her freshman year, Frye has played 41 games for Richmond and has a career batting average of .358. She has 44 hits, 16 of which have gone for extra bases, and she’s scored 45 runs during that span.
This season, Frye leads the team in several offensive categories including: batting average (.474), hits (18), runs scored (17) and stolen bases (9). She’s also third on the team with 10 RBIs.
When she reports to Wingate, a Division II program, following her high school graduation next summer, Frye will join former Lady Raider teammate Savannah Lampley, who recently transferred to the Bulldogs.
Frye said “it’ll be fun to reunite with Savannah and cool to play again together” as teammates.
Other current Bulldogs, Ragan Liles and Laney McLaurin, are also players Frye is familiar with, which made her selection process easier. This spring, the Bulldogs finished with a 21-18 overall record and placed fifth out of 13 teams in the South Atlantic Conference.
“I want to be able to help the team and play anywhere in the infield or outfield,” Frye noted. “I just want to be a part of the team and do anything to help them succeed. I want to try and get as much playing time as I can while I’m there, and hope to play a lot as a freshman.”
Not forgetting she still has a few games left with the Lady Raiders this spring and her entire senior season next year, Frye will use that time to focus on becoming a better softball player and enjoy her senior year.
“I want to get better at the game, and help out my teammates and the younger players as much as I can,” Frye closed. “Obviously I want to win as many games as possible and make the playoffs as a senior, but I also want to have fun and enjoy the game.”
