With no regrets Coldwater's Knisely signs with KVCC softball
It has been said that a good catcher is the quarterback of their team, the lead dog, the traffic cop, and a host of so many other things and in the end no team gets very far without one. For the past several seasons the Coldwater Cardinals have had the luxury of having such a catcher and going forward the Cougars of Kalamazoo Valley Community College will have one as well as Coldwater’s Karlie Knisely has signed her commitment letter to play for Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) softball.
“I chose KVCC because they offered a great education for a lower price,” said Knisely. “With my softball side of things, I knew a few of my travel teammates were going to play there and I heard amazing things about the coaching staff, which is very important to me. I was originally not going to play softball in college, but when this opportunity arose, I knew I would regret it if I passed it up, so I went with my gut and decided to play. I am so excited to create so many amazing memories! My parents have always supported me in all of my endeavors, but when I told them I had the chance to play softball in college they were thrilled, especially my father Chris. My mother, Dawn, is a KVCC graduate so of course she was also so excited about me choosing to be a Cougar just like her!”
In Knisely the KVCC coaching staff will be getting a truly dynamic all-around player, one that can do damage at the plate while holding things down behind the plate on defense. Last season Knisely earned Interstate 8 All Conference First Team honors as a starting catcher that also held down the lead off spot for a very potent Cardinal lineup. Knisely finished the season batting .381 at the plate with 45 hits in 118 at-bats, recording 35 singles and 10 doubles with 22 RBIs and eight runs scored (reminder, as a catcher, Knisely had a courtesy runner for many of her moments on the basepaths). Knisely also drew 18 walks with only 10 strikeouts for an on-base percentage of .475. Behind the plate Knisely was just as effective, recording 227 put outs and 12 assists in 239 chances with two doubles players turned with zero errors for a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000. In total Knisely caught 191.2 innings of softball, only giving up 12 passed balls while catching four attempted stolen bases.
Knisely will be joining a Cougars squad that finished 21-25 last season and 16-14 in their conference and will be saying goodbye to their starting catcher for the 2023 season, giving Knisely a huge opportunity to possibly step right in and get immediate playing time.
Knisely has seen a lot playing time as the Cardinal backstop over the years and with that comes a bevy of memories from the many times she put on the gear. Looking back at her time as a Cardinal, Knisely pointed to a number of moments that will stick with her for many years to come.
“There are so many amazing memories that I have created as a Cardinal,” said Knisely. “It is very hard to pick one favorite memory, yet one always sticks out in my mind. Even though this day ended not as we all hoped I still love this memory. The 2022 Softball Regional Championship was a hard-fought game where I saw each and every one of my teammates play their hearts out. We kept going back-and-forth with Mattawan during this game and never once did I see a single look of doubt on anyone’s face. We all were leaving it all on the field and the amount of positivity in the dugout was surging through us. I will never forget the adrenaline from the game, and I will forever cherish that memory.”
Moving from high school to college takes a bit of an adjustment for any student-athlete, no matter where or when they move on to the next stage. “I think my biggest adjustment to college will be living on my own in a new place, although it is a scary thought, I look at it as if I’m going to summer camp. I went to summer camp growing up and I always got nervous to leave my parents, but I always found myself doing just fine on my own. I will definitely be lost for a little while without my family, but everyone has to go through this at some point.”
Knisely will be attending KVCC with the intention of pursuing a master's degree in Speech Language Pathology with the hope of one day working in a private practice working with special needs pediatrics.
With everything we have seen on the field, and off, for Knisely there is little doubt she will make her mark at KVCC and beyond. Congratulations to Coldwater’s Karlie Knisely on her decision to further her academic and athletic career at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC).
Get To Know Your Recruit
Name: Karlie Knisely
School: Coldwater High School
College: Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC)
Major: Speech Language Pathology
Favorite Food: Green Bean Casserole
Favorite Dessert: Dutch Apple Pie
Favorite TV Show: Psych
Hobbies: Listening to music, singing, and being outdoors
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: With no regrets Coldwater's Knisely signs with KVCC softball
