SPRINGDALE -- Maegan Kelley keeps her '.300 Club' t-shirt from last year stowed in her closet. She wants to upgrade the collection this spring.
She was one of only three Springdale High hitters to earn a shirt last season. Sydney McConnell also got a '.300 Club' shirt, while Kelcee Thompson earned a .400 club one. This year, Kelley is on pace earn one of the '.400 Club' variety for herself, hitting a team-best .465 for the Lady Bulldogs. But she still has her sights set higher.
At A Glance
Maegan Kelley
School: Springdale High
Class: Senior
Position: Third base
Notabale: Hitting .465 with two home runs and 16 RBIs, all career-highs and team-highs. … Transitioned from first base to third this year. … Hit .373 with two home runs and 12 RBIs as a junior.
"I want a .500," Kelley said.
"We're going to get you 1.000," Springdale coach Ashlee Kemp said.
Kemp said it in jest, but there's been no mistaking Kelley's leadership and importance to Springdale this year, especially because this season hasn't been the easiest for her.
The senior has battled a nagging Achilles injury for much of the year, which has made everything from pivoting in the batter's box, to running the bases to making a quick reaction while playing third base a sometimes-painful chore.
She's worn a boot on her foot. She's sat out practices. But when games roll around, she's almost always been ready to go.
"It's showtime," she said.
And she's put on a show, even while playing through pain.
Kelley leads the team in batting average, home runs, RBIs and doubles. Her .465 average, two home runs and 16 RBIs are already equal or better than career-high numbers with three weeks left in the regular season.
Her production becomes even more impressive when factoring in her Achilles injury. She's also become more of a vocal leader this year.
"Motivating, keeping the mood light in the dugout and stuff like that," Kemp said. "She doesn't say a lot, but those words usually matter."
Kelley hopes to play collegiately and will graduate this spring after a stellar three-year career. She also played basketball through her sophomore season, but it didn't take long for her or Kemp to figure out softball would be her best sport.
"I really had no idea who she was, and then she shows up a week before the season starts," Kemp said of Kelley's sophomore year. "And then within one or two games, I'm like, 'Who's this chick? Where's she been.' It really hasn't slowed down every since."
Kelley played first base as a junior and put up big offensive numbers, hitting .373 with two home runs and 12 RBIs, all of which were second on the team to then-senior third baseman Kelcee Thompson.
Kelley has assumed Thompson's role at third and become the Lady Bulldogs' big bat in the lineup, even if it means tweaking her Achilles to make a big swing.
"I do it anyways," Kelley said.
It seems a safe bet that Kelley's shirt this year will feature a patch. She's in good shape to earn a '.400 Club' shirt and could even push for .500 if she plays well down the stretch. Or maybe Kemp really will give her that .1000 shirt.
Whichever one it winds up being, Kelley will have earned it with a gutsy performance that won the respect of her teammates and coaches.
"It's kind of one of those things like, Maegan's doing it on one foot. Why can't we all do it on two?" Kemp said.
Sports on 04/21/2015