MONTICELLO, Ga. — It is a tough task for a high school player on any level to earn not only All-Region honors, but All-State honors as well. Emily Whitwell, a sophomore at Piedmont Academy, didn’t let those odds deter her as she obtained both honors.
Whitwell’s resume was stacked in the batter’s box and in the pitcher’s circle, which helped deliver a third-straight state championship to Piedmont Academy softball.
The sophomore led the Lady Cougars at the plate with a .512 batting average along with 13 RBIs. But, as productive as that was, Whitwell made her mark as a pitcher.
In 111.2 innings pitched, Whitwell recorded a 1.07 ERA while striking out 103 opposing batters compared to just 26 walks.
Both feats were team highs for Piedmont Academy.
Whitwell credited her teammates as a catalyst for her season performance.
“They hype me up and whenever I feel like it’s going to be a hard game, I know that I have a defense behind me to pick me up,” Whitwell said. “I’m very confident in my teammates and that, if I get on base, I’ll get around to score.”
The All-State honoree has played softball since she was seven years old. In addition to her time at Piedmont Academy, Whitwell has also played in recreation leagues as well as a travel ball team.
And, while she could single out one favorite player she enjoyed watching when first starting out, Whitwell did stress how she loves the overall game. According to Whitwell, that has paid huge dividends for her own career thus far.
“I loved every single player I watched growing up,” Whitwell said. “I just wanted to be like them and I feel like that’s helped me throughout. Instead of focusing on one player, I’ve focused on everyone, because everyone is different.”
Whitwell competes in other sports at Piedmont Academy, too. She plays basketball, runs track and she was happy to begin playing girls flag football this year.
Nevertheless, softball has remained at the forefront. And, even though Whitwell has accomplished so much, she knows there is still room to grow.
“I can get better by not placing so much pressure on myself,” Whitwell said. “Sometimes, I feel like, if I’m not doing good, then I’m letting down my team. And I need to be confident in letting my team do their thing and I focus on doing my thing.”
Now, Whitwell hopes a strong start to her career will help generate buzz for her future aspirations. And, not only that, but for even more success before she leaves Piedmont Academy.
“Others may think that when the seniors graduate that’s not how it’s going to go, but I think every single time we step on the field, people are looking at us as state champions,” Whitwell said. “After that, it’s my dream to go to a Power 5, Division I program and make a statement.”
