When attending a Greenbrier East Lady Spartans softball game over the last four years, there are some things that never change and are always there; the umpires, the fans, the cars in the gravel parking lot, the concession stand line and Taylor Graham.
Graham, a senior and one of the better players to come through the school, seems like she has been on the team for 10 seasons. She is one of those tenured players that shows up and the opponent thought she had graduated years ago.
That feeling is from Graham being thrust into the spotlight as a freshman where she saw a lot of playing time and that has continued as her career has progressed.
As of May 26, Graham is batting .415 with five doubles and a triple. She also has 12 RBI’s and has scored 17 runs. But the stats do not stop there. Graham is also one of the full-time pitchers on the team.
She has logged 46.1 innings on the mound and has allowed just 34 hits. She has struck out 69 batters and has a 1.96 ERA.
She also earned the athletic department award for “being the backbone of my team and a key part to my team’s success.”
As long as it seems like Graham has been around, it is strange to think that includes a junior season that did not even happen due to Covid. And for Graham, that gave her a new outlook on things that are important to her.
“Not having a softball season last year really gave me a reality check to not take all things for granted. When you get used to having something to look forward to every year and then one season it isn’t there, it really made me realize how that season was something that I could never get back. It almost made me feel like I was lost,” Graham said.
“There was this constant void in my days that couldn’t be filled any other way, but being back on the field this year truly showed me how much this sport meant to me, and how glad I was to be able to do the thing I love the most,” she explained.
Graham obviously wants to win a championship before her Spartan career comes to an end in a few weeks, but for her, leading by example and thinking of others may benefit the team more in the long run.
“My number one goal has always been to benefit my team. A lot of people work on themselves and their individual talent. While I also worked at that, I continued to try to find a way to better myself and make me a more valuable player for the team as a whole. The older you get the more widespread your viewpoint becomes on a lot of things. Entering this year, I knew that despite all the years in the past along with pitching, I wanted to be a valuable hitter for my team, because we all know that hitting is what wins games,” Graham stated.
“The more confidence you build with yourself, others are sure to build the same energy, and to me that’s one of the most important things about being a team leader, giving the right energy and being someone people want to learn from. Being an underclassman for all those years, I know what it is like to learn by example, and this is something I always keep in my mind. I wanted to give my teammates someone they could ask questions to and want to learn from. Knowing that my team can rely on me for anything is a big part of why I am there. The way you lead others shows a lot about your character, and good character builds teams,” Graham said.
Graham still has goals on the field as well.
“I just want my girls to have confidence in themselves. We are such a well-rounded team. We have so much talent and potential to beat some of the best teams out there, this being when we are hitting. I want all of us to gain confidence in our bats and play our absolute hardest to the end. That goal also goes for myself as I want to keep my bat rolling and pitches rolling as well, and just play to the best of my ability at all times,” Graham said.
The senior has had plenty of time throughout her career to rack up all sorts of memories, but there is one that stands out to her more than most.
“It happened my freshman year. I was put in to pitch our sectional elimination game against Woodrow Wilson High School. As a freshman, it felt awesome knowing that I was relied on in that moment to pull through for the team. Coming out with a win, that was exactly what I did and that was something I will never forget,” Graham said with a grin.
When Graham moves on after this year, she has big plans in store for herself even though her softball playing days may come to an end.
“In the fall I will be attending New River Community and Technical College to be a part of their LPN program. From there I plan to extend my nursing degree over the course of six years to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), then once again furthering that degree to hit my end goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner,” Graham concluded.
Graham and the Spartans are entering the stretch run of their season as they hope to make a run in tournament play.
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