Florida Star Signs With Tide Softball Program
11/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? University of Alabama head softball coach Patrick Murphy has announced the second member of his five-player recruiting class for 2009 with the signing of Florida prep standout Kendall Dawson to a letter of intent to play for the Tide.
“Kendall had a great summer catching for her Florida Gold summer ball team,” said Murphy. “She is a very fundamentally sound catcher who has the potential to be an outstanding Division I player at that position. We are very happy that another talented young lady from the state of Florida has decided to attend Alabama.”
Dawson comes to the Capstone after an illustrious career at Plant City High School in Plant City, Fla., where she led her team to District runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006 and Regional finals appearances in her freshman and junior seasons. Dawson earned team Offensive MVP honors as a freshman and was named Defensive MVP as a sophomore under head coach Heidi Kouveras.
A three-time first team All-Western Conference honoree, Dawson was also named All-County last season. She earned Tampa Tribune All-State honors and was named to the Tribune’s “Parade of Athletes” as a catcher. Last season as a junior, Dawson hit .559 at the plate with an amazing .926 slugging percentage while recording an on-base percentage of .600.
Dawson also starred on the Florida Gold club team that competed in several national tournaments. The Gold won the Battle of the Borders Championship last summer and finished as the runner-up at the 2007 Champions Cup.
An excellent student, Dawson earned her school’s Athletic Academic Award and was a member of the honor roll. She was also on the Best Buddies Club and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Dawson also earned varsity letters in volleyball and soccer at Plant City High.
The daughter of Benjamin and Diane Dawson, she has an older sister, Mackenzie, and a younger brother, Sawyer. Her sister is a pitcher for the softball team at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. Dawson plans on majoring in exercise science and kinesiology at Alabama.
