Sammy Marshall

Classroom

Marshall brings a 3.424 GPA into her final semester as an exercise science major. The Naperville, Illinois, native is a three-time Summit League Winter/Spring Academic Honor Roll selection and a two-time member of the Summit League Academic All-League team. In 2013, Marshall was a Capital One Academic All-District Second Team selection.

Character

Marshall is a true student of the game and strives to not only make herself better at every practice, but her teammates as well. She has a passion for the game that becomes clear anytime she steps on the field. She is the type of player who wants to be held accountable and will hold her teammates accountable as well when necessary. Marshall has a strong work ethic, coming in extra for batting practice or fielding drills and has developed into a vocal leader on and off the field throughout her years at Western. She’s a reliable student-athlete who demands the most from herself in every aspect life. She attends extra study hours, stays after in practices and is willing to assist her teammates in any way she can.

Community

Marshall has served her community through multiple methods during her career at Western. She has been part of an effort that has helped Western Illinois softball achieve more than 1,500 hours of community service, including 785 hours during the 2013-14 academic year. By helping out in camps and clinics, Marshall helped Western Illinois surpass the 420 hour mark during her first two years. Last season, softball as a team led all athletic programs at Western in community service hours. Marshall was also part of Western’s first Dance Marathon. As a Morale Captain, Marshall helped supply enthusiasm and confidence to the entire group. Dance Marathon raised more than $21,000 in its first year and has set a goal of $40,000 this year. In Naperville, Illinois, Marshall volunteers at her church’s gift mart. Her family has also “adopted” a 7-year-old girl named Chloe who lives in Haiti. They send her care packages, toys and coloring books among other items. This year as a team, Western Illinois has amassed 105 hours of community service.

Competition

Sammy Marshall led the nation in stolen bases per game in both her freshman (1.18) and sophomore year (0.94). During the 2012 season, Marshall was a perfect 45-45 in stolen base attempts. She began the 2013 campaign 13-13 in stolen bases, a stretch that placed her 8th all-time for consecutive stolen bases. During her freshman year, Marshall stole five bases in one game, good for third in NCAA history. Last season, Marshall recorded 12 consecutive hits, one shy of an NCAA record. In 2013, she ranked fourth in the nation in batting average and third in triples per game. Last season, she finished the year fourth in the nation in batting average, 17th in stolen bases per game, and 21st in runs per game. Marshall was named a co-NFCA National Player of the Week on March 22. She is a two-time NFCA All-District selection (Second-Team 2014), a 2014 ASA/USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist, and a 2015 ASA/USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List selection.