Do what you love, love what you do
By: Mia Williams, Staff Writer
Photo by Mia Williams/ The Towerlight
Senior center fielder Kendyl Scott is a key piece of Towson’s softball team, and a prime example of someone with a genuine love for the game.
Growing up as an only child in Southern California, Scott’s love for softball developed at an early age.
“From the moment I could pretty much stand on two feet, my dad had a little glove on my right hand, and a tennis ball in my left,” Scott said.
From that point on, her love for the sport blossomed.
Scott is a force to be reckoned with on the field. Nationally, she’s ranked second in batting average (.497), total bases (130) and hits (78). She is ranked fourth in doubles (20) and toughest to strikeout (53.0), and fifth in doubles per game (0.43). Scott is also the all-time leader in Towson softball history in hits (246) and runs scored (156).
Scott is a multi-talented athlete. Though her passion is softball, she describes herself as someone who could never take a break from sports.
In middle school, Scott played an array of sports from flag football and basketball, to volleyball and soccer. Scott continued with basketball, volleyball and softball in high school. During her senior year, Scott was named captain of the softball team.
Scott never imagined that she would end up at Towson. However, when she came to Towson on an unofficial visit, she instantly knew it was where she wanted to be.
“I automatically loved the school,” Scott said. “I loved the campus, the girls really welcomed me and it felt like home.”
When Scott was in high school being recruited by colleges, she knew she had to think carefully about which school she would attend.
“College softball is said to be the best four years of your life,” Scott said. “The top thing people tell you is to pick a school where you are going to have the best four years of your life.”
Looking back, Scott feels she made the right decision.
“[These] four years have really molded me into something that I am truly thankful for,” she said.
Scott hit the ground running upon her arrival at Towson. She played 57 games her freshman year and was one of six players with a batting average over .300. During her sophomore year, Scott was named to the all-CAA tournament team and ranked fourth in CAA for stolen bases.
Later in the year, Scott was one of 16 players selected to the British national softball team, where she played in the Women’s Softball World Championship in Surrey, Canada.
Scott goes into each game with the mentality of giving her best, or as she puts it, “balling out.”
“She brings a leadership presence to the team by how well she does,” said senior pitcher Olivia Baltazar, who has played with Scott since they were freshmen. “She’s always humble and never talks about her own accolades, even though she is one of the best players on our team and in the conference.”
Though Scott rarely discusses her achievements, she speaks frequently about the positive impact her family, coaches and teammates have had on her. Scott said her coaches have created a positive environment for her to achieve.
“The coaches have always driven me to exceed my potential and that really motivated me to get better, which is awesome,” she said.
Scott’s teammates feel her work ethic has a positive effect on how they play. For junior Nicole Stockinger, Scott serves as a role model.
“Coming in as a freshman and playing outfield next to her, she [has been] a role model for me personally,” Stockinger said. “Her passion and love for the game definitely [has] a big impact on the team.”
Scott is extremely close to her family. Her mom and her dad are usually the first people she calls after a game.
“I have no siblings, so my mom and dad are my world,” she said. “They are my rock.”
Scott is a sports management major, and upon graduation will be heading to Japan with the Great Britain national softball team in late July for the 2018 Women’s Softball World Championship. She then plans to attend graduate school to pursue her master’s and hopes to become a graduate assistant coach.
For the rest of the 2018 season, Scott wants to do everything she can to help her team because she is confident that they can go far this season.
“This year, the team is 100 percent a family,” Scott said. “We have bonded very well, we laugh more than anything, and it is so much fun.”
