CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Montgomery Central softball player Kaitlin Woodruff has put together a stellar resume on the field throughout her Lady Indian tenure.
As a sophomore, Woodruff hit .360 with five home runs and 34 RBIs. She was also named to the All-District 10-AAA team twice and received All-District 10-AAA tournament team honors in 2019.
Woodruff, who committed to Austin Peay State University in November, shared why she felt her decision to remain in Clarksville was a relatively easy one.
“I thought it was a good fit for me because I wanted to be somewhere where I knew a lot of people and be surrounded by a community who is uplifting and positive,” Woodruff said. “I chose Austin Peay for the atmosphere and coaching staff because they push their athletes very hard. That’s what I felt like I needed while moving forward with my athletic career.”
At the age of 12, Woodruff decided to begin playing travel ball in an effort to compete against the very best the nation had to offer.
“I went to Florida for my very first tournament,” Woodruff said. “Back then I didn’t know anything about being recruited or how any of that stuff worked. I was just playing my heart out and having fun with it. While there, I kind of realized that I was good enough to play in college one day. After that happened, I started to train more and eventually got on the radar of higher level softball teams.
“My first travel ball team was called Rampage and they were out of Clarksville,” Woodruff said. “I played with them for a pretty long time. After that, I played for Lil Saints who was based out of Arizona, but ran by Jessica (Rohn) and Casey (Dickson) who owned Sports DoctoR. They were traveling more and that’s what I wanted to do to get more exposure and they also had college experience. Then I played for Prospex down in Alabama for Katie Oliver and Tennessee Illusion which is now called VEXUS and I still play for them.”
Woodruff has played all over the diamond including every position except catcher, showing her true versatility on defense.
“I think my favorite is probably shortstop because I get a lot of action there, get to speak a lot and kind of get to be in control of the field,” Woodruff said. “The most fun position that I get to play is pitcher. I like being in the circle and helping lead my teammates.”
Before entering the final season of her high school career, Woodruff didn’t want to place any further pressure on herself by adding too many lofty expectations.
“As weird as it sounds I kind of wiped away all goals because I didn’t want to have something I had to meet,” Woodruff said. “I just wanted to come in and have as much fun that I could rather than beat myself up over bad games because I didn’t hit some record or whatnot.”
On March 19, CMCSS announced the cancellation of all sports through May 1 with a tentative return date set for May 4. Since all student athletes are unable to currently practice on the field or at their individual school’s gymnasium, many are attempting to stay sharp by getting work in at home including Woodruff.
“I’ve signed up for a softball school put on by Morgan Stewart,” Woodruff said. “It’s three or four times a day and you go in during the afternoons and later again at night. I’ve been watching those videos and it just talks about softball skills and things like that. In the mornings I wake up, work out and do it again before I go to bed. I’m just trying to keep my stamina up. Even if our senior season doesn’t resume, I still have to play at the next level. I just want to keep myself in shape and be ready to go.”
The Lady Indians defeated Northwest 9-3 on March 9 in their home opener. After previously sustaining concussion-like symptoms from the result of a prior car accident, Woodford was finally back in action.
“Before the season had started, I had gotten rear-ended and totaled my car,” Woodruff said. “So, during our first preseason games and tournaments I didn’t get to play. I just sat and rested which was really hard to do because I wanted to get back on the field. Even though I wasn’t able to play, it was still good to be there and watch my teammates succeed. When I first came back, I was just trying to get reacclimated.”
Woodruff believes the thought of potentially having to miss out on two of life’s most momentous occasions while also possibly being forced to forego her senior season on the field hasn’t truly sunk in yet.
“Even now, it kind of doesn’t feel real to a lot of us,” Woodruff said. “It’s just something that no one has experienced before. It just feels like we’re missing out and we really don’t even know what we’re actually missing. For a lot of us I think it’ll be upsetting to see others graduate, knowing that we didn’t get to feel that. It’s a day that you look forward to since you were in preschool. I think it’s going to be devastating in the end if we actually don’t get a graduation or prom, but I know somehow our class will figure out a way to make it feel just as special.”
The NCAA is currently in the early stages of figuring out a way to grant an extra year of eligibility for senior spring athletes. Right now, all options are on the table from schools being given more scholarships, allowing more student athletes the ability to redshirt and even extending the number of roster spots for each team. With the decision entirely out of her hands, Woodruff has chosen to simply focus on what she can control.
“I honestly still have the same mindset going in,” Woodruff said on entering her freshman year in the fall. “I just plan to work hard and fight for the same spot as everybody else because only nine can play. I think it’s actually an asset to have seniors come back who have more knowledge on the team. It’s really an exciting opportunity to go into college to play with and against upperclassmen who have more experience.”
