Centre College Photos
Centre College’s 2025 softball season certainly did not go the way that Kennedy Caudill or her teammates expected. The Colonels finished the year 4-33 and Lane went 1-12 on the mound in 79 2/3 innings. She also hit only .182 in 33 games.
Caudill’s sophomore season has been a lot better team-wise and individually. She is the team’s leading hitting with a .429 batting average in 23 games with a .551 slugging percentage and eight RBIs — she hits for herself when she pitches and plays third base when she is not pitching. Caudill also leads the team with seven wins and has a 5.22 earned run average in 17 appearances with 49 strikeouts and 64 hits in 61 2/3 innings.
The Colonels (15-15, 5-7 SAA) play three games at Rhodes College in Memphis this weekend before closing the season with three home games against Trinity May 2-3. Those are the top two teams in the Southern Athletic Association.
“I feel like we have improved so much this year — mentally, physically and everything else. Seeing that growth in my teammates has helped keep me calm and better on the field and in my head. I’ve definitely seen some growth from me and the team as a whole since last year.
“We have a very young roster and our seniors have done a really good job of being our leaders. Some of our freshmen, even some who don’t always play, have also been good leaders at the right times.”
Caudill has played sports since she was 3 years old and softball has been her “escape” at times. Adjusting to the academic rigors at Centre her freshman year was not easy. “Everybody told me it would be hard and then my classes started and I was like, ‘They were not kidding.’ But it is very, very hard,” Caudill said.
“Fortunately the girls on the team helped me navigate that in so many different ways and even on our worst days on the field we still found a way to laugh and have fun. I could never step away from the game because it helps me with everything in life. I’ve learned so many life lessons playing softball.”
Caudill’s high school team in New Albany, Ind., made the state final her senior year, adding to the shock of going 4-33 in 2025 at Centre with a freshman-dominated team.
“It was a huge adjustment for us but I think it was something I needed for personal growth,” she said. “I grew up doing soccer, volleyball, basketball and softball. My siblings play different sports and my sister was the reason I got into softball. She would play T-ball and I hated watching and my parents said my only way out was playing softball. I was maybe 7 years old and by age 12 I told my dad I wanted to play college softball.”
She appreciates all her father did by “putting everything on the line” to make sure she had what she needed.
“I spent way too much on equipment but that helped me get where I am today. I still think about all the sacrifices it took for me to get here, so I don’t take anything for granted,” Caudill said. “He was the stereotypical crazy softball dad when I was growing up. Now he’s way more relaxed. If he’s not at a game, he’s watching online so he can help me.”
Shoulder and elbow injuries have limited her time on the mound this season but not stopped her from playing.
“Kennedy has been such an important piece of our team this year. What stands out most is her composure and willingness to take on responsibility in big moments. She competes with confidence, attacks hitters, and gives our team a sense of stability every time she’s on the mound,” Centre coach Laura Villagrana said.
“Beyond her physical ability, her mindset has made a huge difference. She’s resilient, confident, and always ready to put the team first. Off the field, she is known for being thoughtful and dependable, someone teammates can count on not just in competition, but in everyday situations as well.
Caudill, an economic/finance major, only learned about Centre College because of softball but believes “there is no other school” that offers all Centre does. She will study abroad in France for three months in the fall.
She’s also part of the Kessler Scholars Program for first generation college students. “It’s a great to help to students who didn’t have parents go to college to help us know what to expect,” the Centre sophomore said. “It helps with resources to navigate through school but it also builds a community of first generation students and if I need any kind of help, there is somebody I can go to.”
On the field, there will be times she gets frustrated but understands everyone makes mistakes, including her.
“Softball is a game of failure. You have to learn to get over the errors or strikeouts. A year from now, it won’t matter. I tell teammates what matters is now,” she said. “There were times growing up I thought something was the end of the world, and then later I can’t even remember why I was upset.
“Nobody remembers the mistakes forever. I try to keep that mindset and tell my teammates that. You can make a great player and everybody will remember that good play. They won’t remember a bad play. So just enjoy the game.”
Even dealing with shoulder/elbow pain has not stopped Caudill from enjoying the season. She wants to be on the field.
“I want to be out there to help my team and show my appreciation for the game. When I am not in the circle (pitching) I am so much more relaxed. There’s like a one in 10 chance the ball is coming to me (at third base). In the circle, I worry about what will happen with every pitch. So if I am not picking, I want to be out there helping our other pitchers all I can,” Caudill said.
