ROCKINGHAM - One of the biggest things that mattered to Ragan Liles when she was making her decision where to play college softball was choosing a program that wanted her as much as she wanted them.
And that’s exactly what the rising Marlboro Academy junior found in Wingate University and head softball coach Lani Shaffer Ries. On Tuesday, July 3, while attending a hitting lesson with the coach she simply calls “Shaffer”, Liles made her verbal commitment to play for the Bulldogs.
A Richmond County native, Liles is just one of several local players to verbally commit to play college ball in the past year. Last month, Richmond Senior High School rising junior Kayla Hawkins committed to Coker College, as rising senior Taylor Parrish is set to play for Pfeiffer University. RSHS rising seniors Savannah Lampley (UNC-Wilmington) and Greyson Way (UNC-Greensboro) committed to their respective schools last summer.
Joining the Wingate recruitment class of 2020, Liles, 16, is coming off a tremendous season with the Lady Dragons in Bennettsville, S.C. Acting as a shortstop, third baseman and the team’s No. 2 pitcher, she batted .385 with 40 runs scored and 32 RBIs. She also stole 15 bases and knocked two home runs during her sophomore campaign.
In the field, Liles racked up a .932 fielding percentage, and 11-year head coach Boyd McLaurin noted that she was the “best utility player I’ve coached” during his tenure.
“I’m pretty excited,” Liles said of making her next step in her playing career. “I’ve been taking hitting lessons from Coach Shaffer for a little over a year, and she’s come to see me at a lot of my games. I’ve gotten to know her on a personal level.
“I like the idea of having a close team like we have at Marlboro Academy,” she continued. “Wingate is a lot like that -- it’s a family there. When I told Coach Shaffer my decision, she jumped up and down. We’re so close.”
A three-sport athlete at Marlboro Academy, Liles plays volleyball in the fall and basketball in the winter. However, softball has always been her true passion. Noting that she’s been playing softball her “entire life,” she’s risen through the ranks of several local travel ball teams to help her gain exposure in the collegiate softball community.
Growing up, Liles played for the Richmond Thunder, and now plays with the Carolina Wildcats 16U team, which is based out of the Fayetteville area. Her father, Matthew Liles, is her current Wildcats coach, and the organization is headed by Jeff McPhail, the current softball coach at Cape Fear High School.
Ragan Liles playing for Marlboro Academy. Photo courtesy of the Liles family.
On Friday, June 22, while at the 2018 Carolina Cardinals East Coast Fireworks Showcase tournament, which the Wildcats won, McLaurin acted as a liaison between Liles and Wingate, and told the rising junior the program wanted to meet with her. During the tournament, Shaffer watched 10 of the Wildcats’ games, and got to see Liles at the plate, in the field and pitch from the circle.
Less than a week later, on Wednesday, June 27, Liles went on her official visit to Wingate and met with Shaffer and her staff. And it didn’t take her too long to decide that being a Bulldog was the right fit, despite fielding other offers.
“I really like the closeness of Wingate,” Liles explained, noting the short distance between the university and her home. “The school is growing a lot, but I’ll still have small class sizes. And I really liked the campus.”
Another perk of attending Wingate is that Liles won’t be the only current Lady Dragon on the team, as fellow rising junior first baseman Laney McLaurin is also committed to the Bulldogs. Joining the 2020 class are also two of Liles’ current Wildcats teammates, Morgan Nunnery (Cape Fear High School) and Caroline White (Bunn High School). Liles explained she’s excited to get to play alongside of some of her teammates, which will make her career that much more enjoyable.
In 2017 as a freshman, Liles and Marlboro Academy tallied a 35-5 overall record and won the South Carolina Independent School Association’s 2A state championship. The Lady Dragons defeated fellow Region III opponent Pee Dee Academy in two games. This season, despite being eliminated by Williamsburg Academy in the SCISA state playoffs, Liles earned All-Region and All-State honors.
When asked how playing for such a competitive and successful program has helped her as a player, Liles credited her teammates by saying they’ve “pushed her to work harder.” Liles’ strength is her placibilty on the field as a utility player, playing multiple infield positions, pitching, and even catching some innings behind the plate.
With still two more full school years before she’s set to graduate high school, Liles expressed she’s most looking forward to getting to know her future teammates and making new friends in college. Her goal is to have fun and just “play ball,” but also places a strong emphasis on her academics. She’s currently undecided on a major, but is thinking of pursuing something in the medical or exercise science fields.
According to Liles, Shaffer was adamant that the she believes Liles can make an immediate impact on a growing program. In 2018, the Bulldogs softball program, which is Division II, went 23-26 overall, with an 11-9 record in the South Atlantic Conference. Finishing fifth of 11 teams in the SAC, Shaffer’s squad fell in the opening round of the SAC tournament, 3-1, to Anderson University, which ended their season.
Shaffer, who just wrapped up her sixth season at the head of the program, helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2013 and 2014, her first two seasons. Her best season to date was 2014, when the Bulldogs won 38 games and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after reaching the SAC championship game. Wingate won a pair of games against No. 24 Lenoir-Rhyne University before being eliminated.
“I want to thank Jeff McPhail and Boyd McLaurin for being two really great coaches who have helped me as a player and throughout the recruiting process,” Liles concluded. “And of course, a big thank you to my parents for pushing me really hard to become a better softball player.”
