Only halfway through her high school career, Bailey Hemphill has already made a name for herself as one of the top players in the Southeast if not the entire country.

The Alabama commit is 2-for-2 individually as well as a team player: she’s been an All-State pick both of her years and high school and also has a pair of state championships to claim as her own.

 

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Player: BAILEY HEMPHILL
High school: St. Thomas More High School (Lafayette, La.)
Grad year: 2016
GPA: 4.0
Pos: catcher
Team record 25-5 (Class 4A state champs)

Key stats: 2014— batting average of .630 with 17 home runs, 14 doubles, one triple and 56 RBI; 2013–hit .595 with 57 RBIs and 16 HR as a freshman
Honors: Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) Class 4-A MVP, All Acadiana Region MVP and 1st team All State 4-A catcher—all for the 2^nd consecutive year

Club team: Louisiana Voodoo
College: Alabama

Extra-curricular: Bailey is involved as a mentor in the STM Options program for developmentally disabled students which primary goal is to prepare students from the transition from high school to a life of independent living while still maintaining a level of academic achievement.

She is also involved every day of the school year (and during the summer when in town) with program participants such as Janie Girouard, the star of “Janie’s Inning.”

 

Here’s info from a Player Spotlight we did in late January on Bailey:

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You had a great freshman year and were named the 4A Outstanding Player… what was the best part of the year for you individually and as a team?
Bailey Hemphill: Individually, I could not have accomplished anything without my teammates, so all of my accomplishments belong to the team. As a team, there were so many best parts, I can’t pick just one. Obviously, winning state was one. We overcame so many obstacles throughout the season, from our coach being sick, injured players, and our pitching coach sustaining a concussion right before the championship game. We had a freshman pitcher and catcher.

Perseverance was our theme for the season, and we did just that. Our school has won many state titles, but never had a player hit a home run at the state tournament. We were so proud to be the first team in our school history to do that. We actually hit six!

And one of our teammates has Down Syndrome. She was at every practice, every game, every tournament, every step of the way with us. We have a special inning after each home game called “Janie’s Inning” where the opposing team pitches to her, and we hit her around until she scores a run. We all learned many life lessons last season through Janie.

 

SSS.com: Walk us through the recruiting process with Alabama… how did they first find you and how long was it until you were offered?
BH: Coach Murphy first saw me play at ASA 16U Nationals in Montgomery in 2012 when I played for Louisiana Impressions. He was actually scouting players from the opposing team, but I must have impressed him because he sent Coach Vanbrakle to watch my next game. My team recruiter did a great job of “talking me up” to her. That fall, I switched to Louisiana Voodoo, and Coach Murphy, Coach Aly and Coach Vanbrakle started watching me at showcase tournaments from that point on. I went to two camps that winter and went on an unofficial visit in October 2013. It was during that visit that I received an offer.

 

SSS.com: How did a Louisiana girl get away from LSU and La Tech?
BH: I live in Lafayette, which is home to the UL Ragin Cajuns, so UL was higher up on my list than La Tech. My parents both graduated from USL (now UL), and because of this, I had more exposure to UL than LSU. We have season tickets to UL softball and I started going to their camps when I was really little. I was even coached by UL players on my old travel ball team.

Despite that big UL connection, I really want to go to college out of state. I have followed Alabama softball for years. Coach Murphy and Coach Aly both have Louisiana connections so it was kind of neat to keep up with them. The Alabama coaches and staff and facilities are just phenomenal. I could not pass up an opportunity to play for the Alabama softball program.

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
BH: In order to make an informed decision, in the fall, I started going on unofficial visits to colleges that I was interested in. I had been to Alabama for camps before, but I was really blown away on my visit. The facilities, the coaches and the players at Alabama are all top notch.

I was really impressed that the coaches took the time to get to know me both as a player and as a person during the recruiting process. They checked up on me often by calling my high school coach, travel ball coach and my hitting instructor, checking on my grades, and my progress as a player. They watched me play at just about every showcase tournament. They even checked up on my parents. It meant a lot to me that they really wanted ME!

Alabama has an awesome history of taking great players and making them even greater people. Being a part of the Alabama softball program, I know that I will leave Alabama a better person than when I arrive.

 

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches? And what was their reaction?
BH: I told myself when I started this process that I would not make a decision while on a college campus. So even though I knew during my visit that I would accept, I let it all sink in after I got home, and then I called the coaches and told them that I wanted to play softball for Alabama. They were both pretty excited. Coach Aly even screamed!

 

SSS.com: Did you and your family do anything to celebrate?
BH: Not really. I play basketball, too, so between homework, basketball practice and games and fall ball there hasn’t been any time to celebrate.

SSS.com: How far away from home will be? Was distance a factor in your decision at all?
BH: Tuscaloosa is a six hour drive from Lafayette. It’s far enough away from home to be “away,” but not too far away. My family will be able to drive to watch games, and I’ll be able to drive home for visits.

SSS.com: You can obviously hit… What’s your approach at the plate, do you have a specific hitting philosophy?
BH: I have been taking hitting lessons with Jake Epstein in Colorado for several years now. From working with Jake, I have developed muscle memory and correct rotational hitting mechanics, so when I get to the plate, my body knows what to do. See the ball, hit the ball.

SSS.com: What else do you feel is a strength and what are some areas you’d like to work on this year?
BH: I am good behind the plate as well. I do a good job of blocking pitches, keeping the ball in front of me. I love to pick off runners who try to steal on me! One thing I am working on this year is being more vocal behind the plate.

 

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in when at Alabama, do you know yet?
I want to be a physical therapist, so I plan on majoring in kinesiology/pre-physical therapy.

Fill in the blank… My favorite part of softball is: ___________________
… meeting new people and making friendships that last.

What do you think is the best and worst thing about high school?
The best thing is going on retreats. The worst thing is all the homework.

Favorite food:
Macaroni and cheese.

Least favorite food:
Broccoli.

What’s your dream vacation?
Going to Italy.

What type of bat do you use (and do you like it)?
I used to use a Rocketech, but I switched to a Zeno last summer since Rocketechs aren’t used much in college ball.

When was the last time you laughed so hard you were in tears?
Last Tuesday, before my basketball game, taking panoramic pictures with my teammates. In one of the pictures a teammate ended up with five eyes.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I took dancing for eight years.

Describe your softball life in one word?
Blessed

What would you be better at off the field: singing in a musical, competing in a spelling bee or acting in a dramatic play?
Acting in a dramatic play

What’s your No. 1 goal for 2014?
To make everyone I meet smile.

Who would you say is the face of softball today and why?
Patrick Murphy. He has done so much on and off the field to promote the sport.