Today’s player spotlight is a freshman from Louisiana who hasn’t played her first high school game yet, but already knows where she’ll be playing in the SEC!

Name: SHELBY WICKERSHAM
Grad Year: 2018
Pos: pitcher
High School: Mount Carmel Academy (New Orleans, La.)
GPA: 4.0
Club: Louisiana Patriots Gold                                                
Honors: named Outstanding Pitcher of the 2013 Class A Division USSSA World Series Championship.
College: LSU

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FullCountSoftball.com: Is it wild to think that here you are just a freshman and yet you know where you’ll be going to college?
Shelby Wickersham: It feels like I am in a dream. I never would have thought that I would have been committed this early but I am super happy it worked out the way it did. I’m glad to have the recruiting process over and now I can just focus on developing into being the best pitcher I can possibly be.

FCS.com: How excited are you to stay at home and play in the SEC?
SW: It is super exciting to know that I will be close to home to where my family and friends can come watch me play, and at the same time be playing for one of the top schools in the country. It will be an honor and a privilege to play for Coach Beth and the LSU Tigers.

FCS.com: Being an LSU commit must make you a star among the athletes at your school though, huh?
SW: No, I actually have not played my first game in high school yet so I am just looking forward to being a part of the team. Mount Carmel has many amazing athletes, and I am very blessed and humbled to be able to play with them.

FCS.com: You’re 5-foot-11 and just a freshman… have you always been taller than your classmates? Has this been a good thing or a difficulty?
SW: I have always been the tallest in my grade, and I love my height. It has come in handy my entire life from lifting my friends up in preschool to help them wash their hands to playing sports in grammar school, and then now to pitching.

FCS.com: Have you – or do you still – play other sports where height is an advantage, like volleyball or basketball?
SW: I played basketball and volleyball all my life and even made the Mount Carmel Academy varsity volleyball team as a freshman. I was all ready to play this year but after speaking with various college softball coaches and my travel team coaches they advised me that to get to the next level I needed to focus primarily on pitching and getting out to the different exposure tournaments. If I were to play volleyball, I would not be able do all these things and my dream was to play Softball in the SEC. I decided to drop basketball and volleyball and I believe the extra work really paid off.

FCS.com: You’re already up to 63 mph on your fastball and have a drop and rise to go with it… where would you like to take your pitching skills in the future?
SW: I would like to increase in speed and perfect all of my pitches, so that I can hit any spot with every pitch every time I throw it.

FCS.com: Tell us how the recruiting process with LSU went, from when they first saw you up until they offered?
SW: My first look was when I started going to Coach Beth’s pitching clinics every Monday, which I still continue to go to every week. Then I started to go to her pitching camps and different workshops just to get seen by her. Coach Beth and Coach Lindsey both came and watched me play in different tournaments and soon after they offered me an unofficial visit, which I went on and then that’s when they offered. Everything happened pretty quickly.

FCS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
SW: I had always known that LSU was the first choice, so I committed within ten minutes of them offering. It was truly the best option for me because it was exactly what I was looking for, and no other school could beat it. It’s close to home, has great coaches and is one of the top softball programs in the country. It has the prettiest campus, the nicest facilities with great academics, and in the best location- it just cannot be anymore perfect.

FCS.com: What were the circumstances of your verbal—were you at home, in the LSU offices, on the phone?
SW: I went on my unofficial visit to LSU, and on my visit Coach Beth called my parents and me into her office and offered me then. I would have accepted the second she offered, but I had to talk with my parents first. When we walked out of the office, we all gave each other “the look” and ten minutes later I told the Coach Beth and the LSU coaching staff that this is where I wanted to be.

FCS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them; were you more nervous or more excited?
SW: I was definitely more excited, and I could not wait. It felt so surreal at first, like I was in a dream.

FCS.com: Did you visit or check out other schools or was LSU always the school you wanted to attend?
SW: I went on unofficial visits to the University of Alabama, Ole Miss, South Alabama, and had a few scheduled for the fall, which I cancelled after I committed. I always knew that LSU was truly where I wanted to be, but I wanted to keep other options open just in case it did not work out.

FCS.com: What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
SW: My coaches and teammates have said that I’m very dedicated, focused, and coachable. I think being a good teammate is most important. I really enjoy playing the game and being with my teammates.

FCS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your athletic career?
SW: Definitely one of the top memories was when my 12U softball team, the LA Hurricanes, won the USSSA World Series and I was named MVP Pitcher. Our game was featured on ESPN3, and it was an amazing experience. Another great memory was my first time playing 18U Gold in Colorado. My coach put me in with no outs and bases loaded with the Texas Tech and Tennessee coaches watching. It was so thrilling to be playing against the top girls in the country.

Quick Hitters

Any Nickname(s)?
Wickersham or Shelbs.

What do you want to major in?
As of now, I am leaning towards occupational therapy.

Fill in the blank… I’m happiest when: ___________________
… I’m around my friends & family.

What do you think is the No. 1 issue in the world today?
The economy.

Favorite athlete:
Jenny Finch.

Favorite food:
Ice cream.

Favorite place in the world:
Disney World.

What’s your dream vacation?  
Hawaii vacation.

If you could have a super power, what would you want it to be?
Be able to fly.

What’s playing in your earphones/buds right now?
All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor.

If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be.
 Jesus.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A veterinarian… what kid doesn’t?

Something on your “must do” list:
Visit all 50 states.

Best thing about being from Louisiana:
Amazing food and small town feel.

Funniest person on your high school or club team:
Brittany Case.

Best prank you’ve ever pulled off or was done to you?
My little sister hid in my suitcase and scared me to death.

What makes you the most happy?
Good friends and family.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I love to hunt.

Describe yourself in the circle in one word?
Determined!

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?
Fire starter.

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
Coach Beth Torina.