« Softball 2011

Chelsea Kelley

School
Radford University
Position
Pitcher
Major
Sports Medicine
ERA
3.47
W-L
6-8

Classroom

Kelley maintains a 3.94 GPA in sports medicine and has made the Dean’s List all seven semesters. She is on pace to graduate this spring and has been accepted by Radford’s physical therapy graduate school with the aspiration of working in the field of sports rehab or spinal therapy. She has been a member of the University’s Honors Academy and Beta Honors Society since her freshman year. Kelley is a three-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete and Big South Presidential Honor Roll selection and was named to the 2010 Big South Softball All-Academic squad. During her senior year she earned a Senior Excellence Award and was named as the College of Education and Human Development’s Most Outstanding Student.

Character

Kelley has shown her resiliency by overcoming three major surgeries since stepping on campus. “Over her career, Chelsea has had three surgeries from which she has worked hard to recover, and average 25 wins the last two seasons,” head coach Mickey Dean said. “Not to just get back to playing, but to put up the impressive numbers that she has been very impressive.” Her successes on and off the field have come despite the rigorous class load, continuous rehab of injuries and her involvement in the community. Even with all these commitments, she also finds time to tutor her teammates and guide them when they are struggling in the classroom. This was evident last season, when the Highlanders recorded the 25th best GPA amongst NCAA Division I programs. A strong communicator, Kelley has been the one person that teammates rely on the most to make sure things are in order during the offseason. “Each fall the one player the freshmen always speak of that helped them the most is Chelsea,” Dean said. “Trust is important and she has learned to gain that by communicating with incoming teammates before they get to campus.”

Community

Kelley has been involved in several community and charitable activities whether it be in the city of Radford or back in her hometown of Roanoke, Va. During her time at Radford, she has volunteered for the regional Special Olympics track meets and Special Olympics regional bowling, along with working with Elf Shelf, a Radford City organization that offers assistance to families in need around the Christmas Holidays. Back home in Roanoke, she has been volunteering at the RAM House (food collection) and the Roanoke Ronald McDonald House for seven years. Certified in First Aid and CPR since 2008, she has also spent time in local rehabilitation centers, assisting in basic patient rehabilitation. Kelley is also a member of Radford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has been one of RU’s representatives at the 2010 Big South Leadership Conference.

Competition

Kelley has played a major role in Radford winning its first two Big South Championships (2009 & 2010) and reaching an NCAA regional final in 2010. In back-to-back elimination games, she tossed a five-inning one-hitter against Elon and then allowed just two first-inning runs in a 3-2 upset against No. 24 Florida State to reach the final. The 2009 Big South Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-Mid Atlantic Region selection, Kelley went 25-8 in her first full collegiate season (2009) after making seven appearances towards the end of the 2008 campaign. As a junior, she recorded her second straight 25-win season (25-9) and earned first-team All-Big South honors. Kelley has been dominant in the Big South play, going 24-2 in two regular seasons and 5-1 two Big South tournaments. A workhorse in the circle, Kelley has appeared in 91 of Radford’s 111 games the last two years.