Before her father passed away, Kelley Lynch never thought of herself as an MVP-caliber player on the field. She did not have the most strikeouts or the highest batting average. Her dream of a Division I scholarship to a Southeastern Conference school seemed far out of reach.

That all changed when Steve Lynch lost his battle with cancer on March 7, 2012. From that point on, Kelley dedicated her play on the field to not only pursuing her collegiate goals but also continuing their special connection through softball.

As the 2019 pitcher for East Cobb Bullets-Biele prepares to head to Auburn in a couple years, Lynch knows her father will be with her every step of the way.

"When he passed away I felt that to honor him and keep him with me I was going to do anything I could to one day be able to play at a DI school," Lynch said. "Of course I had the dreams of playing SEC, but I never realized that I could actually do it until I started visiting schools."



Said Lynch, "My dad was my biggest fan hands down. He was my favorite coach and leader. He impacted so many lives not just mine. He taught me so many life lessons that stick with me today."

Lesson 1: The important things in my life should go in the order of faith, family, school, and then softball.

Lesson 2: Always be a leader and never a follower.

Lynch put her leadership skills to use for the Bullets this past year when her team finished first at Boulder IDT, fourth at USA Softball JO Cup, fifth at TC/USA Nationals and seventh at PGF Nationals. Since middle school, she has been compared to the dominant Florida pitcher Kelly Barnhill because of her ability to rack up strikeouts. Other SEC programs were after Lynch until she committed to Auburn right after Christmas of 2015.

For Lynch, the recruiting process was fun, and she has some advice for the young ladies out there thinking about getting it started.

"Work as hard as you can now," she said. "Don't wait for when 'it matters' because you will end up waiting too late. Coaches are starting to recruit middle schoolers now, and as crazy as that sounds, it is happening. Send as many emails as you can, and always introduce yourself at camps. All the coaches I have talked to have been very friendly and easy to talk to. They give great advice, and are willing to call other coaches for you if you aren't the right fit for them. It was so cool to see coaches watching you during showcases and traveling to different schools around the Southeast. Enjoy it while it lasts!"

Kelley Lynch

Position: Pitcher
Club Team: East Cobb Bullets-Biele
High School: East Coweta (Georgia)
GPA: 4.0
Committed: Auburn


What does softball mean to you? Softball has given me some of my best friends. It has given me leaders in my life. It has taught me life lessons. It is so much more than just a game, and I honestly would not know where I would be without it.

What drew you to pitching? I have been pitching for as long as I can remember. I don't know exactly why I chose pitching, but I know that I have always loved it!

What do you bring to the field that others don't? I think that I bring laughter during warmups but calmness in tough situations. I love to make people laugh, but I am good at staying calm in clutch situations. I believe this helps my team because they see that I am calm, and it calms them as well.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far? My biggest accomplishment is when I committed to Auburn. When I was younger I never thought in a million years that I would be able to play at an SEC school. I have worked so hard to get where I am today, and it is one of my greatest accomplishments.

Who is your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration is my mom. She has been through so much. She has had to play the mother and the father role for years now. She is the reason I am where I am today. She works harder than any other woman I have ever met. She gets it from her mom, my grandma. She cares more for her kids than anyone else and would do anything for me and my sister. She is by far my biggest inspiration.

What are your plans for the rest of high school? My plans for high school are to keep my 4.0 GPA, continue to work to get stronger and prepare for college, and have fun and spend time with my friends and family.

What is the best advice you have ever received? The best advice I have ever received is from my dad. He said, "Always be a leader and never a follower." It is good advice for on the field and off. The world is so tempting, and I come back to this advice when I am put in tough situations.

How does it feel to be getting closer and closer to stepping on the field at Auburn? Every day I get more and more excited. Sometimes I want to skip high school and go straight there, but I realize I need to enjoy high school while I'm here. The Auburn family is just so amazing, and I could not imagine going anywhere different. I am so excited!

Do you know what you want to study? I would like to go into the medical field, but I change my mind a lot. My favorite subjects are math and science. I think that forensic science would be really cool too!

What are your ultimate dreams/goals? My ultimate goal is to win a national championship at Auburn and to win a gold medal on team USA.

What do you like to do when you have a weekend free? Most of the time if I have a free weekend I will spend it with my friends. I like watching Netflix, going to movies, and just hanging out with my friends in general!

What have been some of your favorite softball tournaments? I love going to Colorado and California! They are by far my favorite. Colorado has the best views I have ever seen, and California is so much fun because we are competing for the biggest championship.

Who is your favorite softball player? My favorite softball player is Jennie Finch! I have actually gotten to meet her a couple of times. My team won a contest and got to spend four hours with her a couple years ago! She is so nice, and I love how she uses her fame from softball to spread her faith. She is as awesome a role model as she is a player!

What is your favorite pro softball team? My favorite pro team is the USSSA Pride. Coach (Lonni) Alameda is so awesome, and they have a lot of players that played SEC in college.

What is your favorite movie? I'm not sure if I necessarily have a favorite movie, but I love any movie with Blake Lively in it. She is my favorite actress, and I would die if I got to meet her! I think I am more of a TV junkie than movie person. I love "Grey's Anatomy," "Gossip Girl," "Arrow," "Vampire Diaries," and I could name more!

What is your favorite food? I love Greek salad. It is a food that always sounds good!