Collinsville’s three-time all-conference and two-time all-area outfielder, Jessica Ledford, signed a national letter of intent Monday to play college softball at Quincy University.
Left to right Jeff Ledford (father), Susan Ledford (mother), Jessica Ledford and Cindy Kolda, CHS softball head coach
The Kahoks’ leadoff hitter, Ledford led the team last season in hits (52), doubles (7), triples (6), total bases (74) and runs scored (44). Her .437 average and .492 on-base percentage were second best for a team that finished 5-9 in the Southwestern Conference and 17-19 overall.
Ledford was the conference leader in triples and was third in runs scored. In 136 plate appearances, the lefty slap-hitter fanned only one time, equaling her home run total.
Quincy’s head coach Charlene Obert and her husband, assistant coach Tom Obert, were a major reason Ledford chose Quincy over the University of Illinois at Springfield, she said. Several players from the Maryville-based Black Widows under-18 select team, of which Ledford is a member, will also play at Quincy.
Susan Ledford, Jessica’s mother, was pleased with her daughter’s selection. “I like Quincy, it’s 2 and 1/2 hours away, they have nice coaches and a really good group of girls,” Susan said. “And they have a really good education.” Ledford plans to major in mass communications with an emphasis on television and radio.
The Hawks, who finished 23-30 in 2013 and 17-19 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, are getting “a heck of a player,” Collinsville Softball Head Coach Cindy Kolda said.
“This will be my sixth year with her – I coached her in Jr. High as well,” Kolda said. “I think in all of those years, I never had to tell her to do anything twice.”
Kolda said her team captain is also a very good defensive player, willing to throw herself in front of a ball to ensure it does not get passed her. Ledford switches between left and right field, depending on the team’s pitching strategy, but Kolda likes Ledford’s arm in right field.
“A lot of opposing coaches don’t necessarily think she’s going to have quite the arm on her because she’s so small, but she shocked a couple of people and got some outs at the plate, Kolda said.”
Ledford also excels on the tennis court and in the classroom. She was named third-team all-Southwestern conference in tennis this fall and was honored as a member of an all-conference team that also sustained a 3.5 GPA or better during the semester.
