Glass, Shankle join the Lady Indians softball program

Kendall Glass, Laken Shankle join the Lady Indians softball program
Adam Gore/LetsGoICC.com

FULTON, MS -- Itawamba Community College head softball coach Andy Kirk announced the signing of Lafayette High School shortstop Kendall Glass and Bruce High School catcher Laken Shankle on Tuesday.

Glass has earned All-Division, All-Area and Scholar Athlete awards during her eighth grade, freshman, sophomore and junior seasons at Lafayette. She earned Most Valuable Defensive Player and was voted Most Athletic while being named All-Division and All-Region in volleyball as a junior.

"When I went on my visit and saw the campus I loved it," Glass commented on her choosing ICC. "It was beautiful and clean and felt really safe. I'm looking forward to working really hard and doing anything to help make ICC better in softball."

Glass led the team with a .393 batting average with a team-high 19 doubles, four triples and one home run with six runs scored in the lead-off spot with15 steals and .422 on-base and .492 slugging percentages for Coach Katie Moore and the Lady Commodores last season.

"Kendall set the tone for the game," said Coach Moore. "She is a good slap hitter and has good speed with a lot of aggression on the bases and one thing I really like about her she doesn't care to get dirty. She'll play anywhere you want her to and will never have a negative attitude about it."

Shankle has started for Bruce since the seventh grade and was selected All-Region during her eighth grade, freshman, junior and sophomore seasons. She is a member of the Bruce Fine Arts Juniorettes, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a member of the Lady Trojans' basketball team while serving as Brutus the mascot for Bruce High School.

"It feels great knowing I'll be able to continue playing on the collegiate level and be able to live my dream of doing something not a lot a people get the opportunity to do," said Shankle. "I love the home-like atmosphere at ICC… it's a welcoming place and felt like I was right at home when I visited."

Shankle batted .458 with 27 runs scored and 25 RBI as a junior and has only struck out eight times in her five-year career with the Lady Trojans.

"Laken has been the heart and soul of our team the past few years," said Bruce softball coach Seth Burt. "She eats, sleeps and breathes softball and brings that attitude to practice being the first one there and the last one to leave every day. It's going to be a sad day when she leaves here, but I am excited she is able to continue her career at ICC."

Glass and Shankle are the sixth and seventh members of the Lady Indians' 2013 signing class joining Maddy Lukens (Saltillo), Arriann Henry (North Pontotoc), Heather Dillard (Ingomar), Haley Moore (Itawamba AHS) and Cara Hopper (Caledonia).

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