Western Kentucky softball coach Amy Tudor has announced her next signing class, comprised of five players.
The Hilltoppers received National Letters of Intent from Becca Campbell, Ava Lunsford, Morgan Sharpe, Rylan Smith and Kendle White. The Hilltoppers’ newest members are set to arrive on campus in fall 2023.
“We are excited to announce our 2023 signing class,” Tudor said in a news release. “This will be a fun group that will bring a balance of power and speed along with another arm in the circle.”
BECCA CAMPBELL | BOONVILLE, IND. | BOONVILLE H.S. | INFIELDER | R/R
Becca Campbell comes to WKU from Indiana, playing her prep ball at Boonville High School in Boonville, Ind., as well as club for Indiana Elite. During her sophomore campaign, Campbell and the Lady Pioneers won the IHSAA 3A softball state championship.
Campbell earned the 2021 IHSAA Golden Glove Award, named PAC All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2021 and 2022 and was deemed PAC Academic All-Conference for the 2022 season.
Continuing with her honors off the dirt, the infielder is a four-year member of the National Beta Club, as well as the National Honor Society.
TUDOR ON CAMPBELL: “Becca is a middle infielder with great hands and has great baserunning instincts. She is fun to watch on the bases. She competes and is very coachable.”
AVA LUNSFORD | ELBERTON, GA. | ELBERT COUNTY H.S. | FIRST BASE/UTILITY | R/R
Ava Lunsford joins WKU from Elberton, Ga., where she played her prep ball at Elbert County High School. Lunsford also played club ball for Mojo-Lunsford, a team coached and ran by her father, Mike. She led her club team to three national championships in the AFCS (Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series), was named 18U Second Team All-Tournament, tied for 49th in the country by ExtraInningSoftball for the class of 2023, and ranked No. 66 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100.
As Georgia plays girls’ softball in the fall, Lunsford is recently coming off a regional championship with Elbert County. She was named 8-AA Regional Player of the Year in 2021, 8-A Region Player of the Year for 2022, GACA Softball All-State First Team and was selected to play in the All-State Fastpitch game in December.
Aside from softball, Lunsford is also an elite basketball player who won the state championship with the Lady Devils in 2022.
TUDOR ON LUNSFORD: “Ava is a first baseman who can play multiple positions. She hits from the right side with power and has hit at an elite level. She is great teammate.”
MORGAN SHARPE | CHATTANOOGA, TENN. | BAYLOR H.S. | INFIELDER | R/L (Bats/Throws)
Morgan Sharpe joins WKU from Chattanooga, Tenn., Baylor School and Fury Platinum Softball Club. A speedy middle infielder, Sharpe was most recently a TSSAA Division II AA state champion with Baylor, capitalizing on a 32-3 record after winning the state title back in 2021.
She was a two-time All-Region member and two-time All-State member, both in her sophomore and junior campaigns.
Sharpe is a four-year member of the National Honor Society, FCA, and played volleyball for Baylor – making a trip to state three out of her four seasons.
TUDOR ON SHARPE: “Mo plays the game hard and has great hands. She is a solid middle infielder with great instincts and athleticism. She has good pop, speed and is the lone lefty in the class.”
RYLAN SMITH | NOLENSVILLE, TENN. | NOLENSVILLE H.S. | RHP
A native of Nolensville, Tenn., Rylan Smith played her prep ball at Nolensville High School. A letterwinner in softball, the right-handed pitcher recently won the 4A District 12 title for Nolensville and was named All-Tournament MVP. Smith was named Nolensville Softball MVP for 2021 and 2022.
Racking up awards, Smith was named Tennessean All-Midstate Large Class first team, Main Street Preps All-Midstate First Team, 2022 Williamson County Softball Player of the Year, a softball finalist for the Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards and First Team All-District in 2021.
In the circle, Smith totaled 603 strikeouts between her sophomore and junior seasons, earning 377 Ks in 2022 alone – which was ranked No. 1 in Tennessee.
COACH TUDOR ON SMITH: “Rylan is a RHP who works both up and side to side in the zone. She has great composure on the mound and is a competitor in the circle. She can get a lot of swing and misses.”
KENDLE WHITE | BOWLING GREEN, K.Y. | BOWLING GREEN H.S. | OUTFIELDER | R/R
Joining the Hilltoppers from locally in Bowling Green, Kendle White has signed her NLI to play with WKU, coming from the Purples of Bowling Green High School. The right-handed outfielder is a two-time District 14 All-Tournament Team member and a two-time Kentucky Super Preps Softball nominee.
White earned USSSA All-State recognition in 2019 while playing club ball for the Louisville Lady Sluggers. She was deemed Bowling Green’s Golden Glove recipient, and earned Second Team All-Tournament honors in the 16U Division at TC Nationals.
Through her first three seasons of high school ball, White has tallied a .350 batting average, 70 RBIs and 80 runs scored. In the classroom, White is a National Honor Society, Beta Club, and All-A Honor Roll member, along with a member of the 2021 & 2022 District 13 All-Academic Teams. She is active in choir and theatre at Bowling Green, while also being a two-year homecoming court representative.
TUDOR ON WHITE: “Kendle brings speed and power to our lineup. She is RH outfielder who can fly around on both sides of the ball. She plays hard and all out.”
