Kaylee Tow is a 2017 outfielder/first baseman from North Hopkins High in Madisonville, Ky. and member of the Southern Force – Peyton club team.

Last fall she committed to the Univ. of Alabama in what her mother, Heather, describes as a “year-long recruiting process.”

Tall at 5-foot-11, Kaylee is a lefty who launched herself as an SEC-caliber recruit her freshman year when she hit .565 with 62 hits, 45 RBI and 17 home runs. She had one game where she led off the inning with a home run and came back later in the inning and hit a grand slam!

Unfortunately, the game was called due to rain and what would have been a state record for most RBI in an inning literally got washed away!

Kaylee did, however, make it count in the Kentucky State Playoffs when she hit a three run walk-off at the Region Championship to give North Hopkins a thrilling 10-9 win. She then repeated the game-ending excitement with another three-run walk-off home in the quarterfinals against the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

It was a great all-around year for the power-hitting offense as the team broke the state season home run record with 53 homers.

Kaylee has also played basketball and soccer but quit both last year to focus on softball and her academics which includes a 4.0 GPA and a 30 on her ACT.

Every athlete’s recruiting journey is different and exciting and we loved the story her mother tells of the how a Kentucky girl ended up committing to Pat Murphy and the Rolling Tide… here, in Heather’s own words, are Kaylee’s tour through the recruiting process…

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It all started to take off at 14U ASA Nationals in Normal, Ill in 2013 when Kaylee received her first interest from an SEC school in LSU.

That was a dream come true!

Her dream was to play in the SEC someday and now things were happening, we just weren’t expecting it that early!

It just went up from there through the fall travel season as Kaylee received offers or interest from Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas A&M, Missouri, Louisville, Alabama-Birmingham, Oregon, and many more.

She went on unofficial visits to several schools and, being a Kentucky girl and loving all things Blue she loved the University of Kentucky and their beautiful stadium and coaches, but felt Alabama could be where she really belonged.

The summer and fall of 2013 were just propelling her upward but the 2014 high school season made her a well known name across the state of Kentucky.

As a freshman she was voted as Region 2 Player of the Year and she also earned All-State Tournament Team, All-Region Tournament Team and All-District Tournament Team honors.

After her high school season ended last summer, Kaylee played travel ball throughout the country and drew a lot of attention at ASA 14U Nationals in San Diego.

Her batting average was above .500 last summer and her home run total exceeded the number from her high school season. One SEC head coach saw her hit against a UCLA committed pitcher in California and send the ball way out for a home run and told her coach that Kaylee would start at that university today!

In September of 2014, Kaylee made another unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa. Well, it just went from there and on her last unofficial visit there on September 20, 2014 Kaylee told us, “This is where I’m going to be.”

Kaylee was the first Kentucky girl to ever be recruited at Alabama according to Coach Murphy and Coach Aly (Associate Head Coach Alyson Habetz). She called him after we left the campus that evening and after having had some time to talk with us, her parents.

Kaylee told Coach Murphy, “I’m currently at a store buying Alabama gear because I’m going to come play for you in 2017!”

She hasn’t looked back since and we are all so excited for her blessings and opportunities. Since Kaylee’s commitment, she has connected via social media with other Alabama commits like Maddie Morgan, Elissa Brown, Kyra Lockhart, Montana Fouts, and many more.

They are already building relationships for the future.

The next next years can only get better for Kaylee. She works so hard every day to get bigger, faster, and stronger. She and her dad are inseparable and he works her out through strength and endurance building workouts.

Her high school team returns all nine starters from last season with only one senior this year. They are pacing themselves for a first state championship for their school in softball and they are favored to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll.

Time will tell but I can’t wait to see what they do and how Kaylee can contribute! North Hopkins High is currently are one of just a few high schools in Kentucky that can say they have five D1 softball commits, with players going to Alabama, Kentucky, Toledo, Morehead State and Western Kentucky.

It’s incredible to see how talented they are at such a young age. Kaylee will continue to play with the Southern Force 16U-Peyton team this summer and fall. The Southern Force manager, Alisa Goler, is a former Univ. of Georgia player and home run record holder and will play for the NPF’s Pennsylvania Rebellion team this summer.

Alisa coached the girls through the fall season and spent a lot of time with Kaylee. She told us she thinks Kaylee has a bright future in softball.

To hear that from her let’s me know Kaylee is really special and can accomplish so much with collegiate softball in her future. The sky is the limit for her!