Baylor's Cheyenne Lindsey Commits To Florida Softball

Cheyenne Lindsey already knows where she's planning to go to college and she's in the middle of her sophomore year at Baylor School.

The 15-year-old Lindsey, who has been a starter for the Baylor softball team the last two years, recently committed to the University of Florida, where she'll join a team of Gators who have won the last two national championships.

But for a team that rarely recruits players from anywhere other than Texas or California, Lindsey is certainly joining an outstanding team with a record that speaks for itself.

Lindsey also plays basketball for Baylor, but softball is her sport.

She led the Lady Raiders with a .564 batting average last spring when she collected 44 hits in 78 at-bats.  She scored 35 runs and had 24 runs batted in while also getting four doubles, five triples and a couple of home runs.  Her slugging percentage was a whopping .821 while her on-base percentage was .643.

She walked only five times last spring and only struck out twice.  But for a team that has won 62 of 70 games in the two years she's been starting, she is certainly one of the reasons for those impressive numbers.

She was almost perfect in the stolen base category as she was successful on 20 of 21 attempts.  We must explain that the one time she was caught was more a miscommunication with her coaches and was tagged out away from the base before the attempt to steal was even made.

During the state tournament game with St. Benedict, she tied an old school record for most stolen bases in a game with four. 

She was the lead off hitter for a team that went 25-3 and won another D-II state title.  Just in the state tournament alone, she had eight hits in a dozen at-bats and was aboard one other time with a walk.

But for a young lady who has more than half of her high school career ahead of her, she's already been praised as "perhaps the best player we've ever had to wear a Baylor softball uniform" by coach Kelli Smith.

Lindsey plays third base now after starting in the outfield as an eighth grader.  She has an incredibly quick reaction time at the hot corner, but she could probably play about any position on the field.

"That is, with the exception of pitching.  She does a lot of things really well, but she can't pitch a lick," said Tom Watson, a veteran Baylor assistant coach with a laugh.

Several schools had been hot on Lindsey's trail, including Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky.  But she made up her mind that she was going to commit to the Lady Gators and she made that decision public on Sept. 26.  Ironically, she made her visit that weekend when the Gators came back to shock Tennessee, 28-27.

"I really liked the atmosphere at Florida and that's why I committed there, but I never thought I'd be going that far away from home for college," she said during her lunch break on Monday morning.

Baylor's Smith has been around a lot of outstanding softball talent, but none quite like this young lady who stands slender and quick at 5-10 and may still be growing.

"She's an amazing athlete and so graceful on the field.  There's not much she can't do," Smith said.

"She may be the best to ever play here and she still has three years left, but she is truly a gifted softball player who has been a real difference maker for our team.  Cheyenne has strength and speed and all the qualities that make up a great athlete.

"She can hit for power, but she can also drop down a bunt and will be past first base before the ball is picked up.  She's been exposed to some great softball as she plays for the Frost Falcons, but she's so coachable as she totally understands the process.

"She was really small physically when she came here in the sixth grade, but she's grown a lot since that time.  She's an automatic double when she gets on base because she almost never gets thrown out, but she makes a lot of good things happen for us offensively," the coach continued.

"She's also phenomenal defensively as she can cover a lot of ground at third.  She makes a big difference on that corner.  Cheyenne is a great teammate who never gets down on herself.  She rarely goes through highs and lows, but you always know what you're gonna get from her as she keeps everything in perspective," Smith added.

Watson, like Smith, had nothing but positive things to say about his latest star.

"She's potentially the best I've ever coached and I've been in this business for 23 years.  She has speed, power and exceptional range.  I'm sure she could play any position as she has great quickness.

"She has a great disposition about life as I rarely find her down.  She's always upbeat and she has her own unique style as a hitter.  She has an awful lot going for her as she's just a great kid.  There's nothing negative I can think of to say about her," Watson added.

While high school graduation is still more than two years away, the oldest daughter of Netta Fields already knows what she wants to study in college as she's pretty sure about the field in which she wants to work.

"I really hope to be a nurse practitioner or a pediatrician when I get out of school," she concluded.