An exclusive interview with AU Pro Softball’s Lexi Kilfoyl
The GIST: Pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl played three years at Alabama and two at Oklahoma State — both WCWS mainstays. In her first pro season, Kilfoyl has earned enough weekly points to land within the league’s Top 4 for four straight weeks, thus allowing her to captain her team. She currently sits near the top of the leaderboard heading into the final weekend. What, like it’s hard?
- We chatted with Kilfoyl about her transition from the college game to AU’s diamond, with her insights demonstrating the NCAA’s power to push the game forward at all levels.
Q: What was your favorite part about playing softball in college?
A: All the friends I made along the way and the excitement of playing in front of so many people. College softball is honestly one of the highest highs…with such large, amazing crowds, and it was so much fun playing and performing on the [sport’s biggest] stage…with my best friends.
Q: How has the transition from NCAA to pro play been? How did playing in college set you up for success at the pro level?
A: The transition from NCAA to pro ball has been very different…. It’s a lot more challenging because you’re playing with the best of the best, but at the end of the day that’s what sports [are] all about: pushing yourself to your limit and seeing how great you actually are.
- One thing that’s very different coming from NCAA to the pros is the fact that you have to keep yourself accountable at the end of the day. Going to the gym, going to practice, all the extra work you put in is no longer seen by coaches or teammates. It’s only seen by you.
- Playing at Alabama and Oklahoma State set me up for tremendous success here because of the fact that we played so many good teams in the top two conferences of college softball…the Big 12 and SEC.
Q: We've seen huge growth in popularity in the WCWS — why should more people become college softball fans? And why should people tune into AU?
A: Fans should continue to watch women’s sports because of the passion and dedication that [we] give the game every single day. Coming off of the WCWS in June…fans should also tune into AU because they get the chance to watch all of their favorite athletes compete on the same field with each other instead of being on different teams.
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