Kylee Knop Plans South Carolina Step after May 2010 Graduation
A standout pitcher for the Kirkwood Community College Softball program has her junior/senior years planned out. Head Coach Joe Yegge announced that Kylee Knop has signed a national letter of intent with the University of South Carolina-Aiken as a student athlete for the 2010-11 season.
Knop is a second-year player from Oxford, Georgia and graduated from Walton Academy. In her first year at Kirkwood she finished the season with a 1.2 ERA and a 22-5 record. Knop was ranked in the NJCAA Division II Top Ten during the season and was considered the top pitcher in the Iowa Community College conference. Her season performance also earned her D-II All-American honors.
Yegge says several factors earned Knop the nod from the South Carolina university.
“Kylee has an incredible sense of the game. She can spot pitches, move it around and change speed through the innings. Anytime we had a big game or faced a top opponent, it was Kylee that wanted the ball. She has the right kind of ‘junk’ on her pitches that will make her very successful in that division. We know she will make a great transition to USC-Aiken and deliver great things there,” Yegge observed.
The University of South Carolina Aiken Pacers Softball squad ended the 2009 campaign with a 34-16 record. That mark garnered the 2009 USC Aiken softball team the best winning percentage (.680) in program history. Yegge says the coaches and team expect Knop to be a strong factor in another big season to come.
“This will be a great college fit for Kylee, and a nice thing that Aiken is just a couple hours from her Georgia home. We wish her the best, but expect great pitching this season at Kirkwood!” he added.
Kirkwood had its own strong season in 2008-09, ending with a 41-10 record and several player honors at the All-Region level that included Knop’s First Team award.