Surrounded by family, teammates and coaches, Gabriyl (Gabby) Marshall, a talented outfielder for the Covington Lady Cougars, signed her official national letter of intent on Friday, May 19 to play softball for the Richard Bland College of William & Mary.
With the postseason still in progress, Marshall finished the Lady Cougars regular season as the third leading hitter on the team with a batting average of .490. She had four doubles, a triple, 10 RBIs and was second on the team with 17 stolen bases. Marshall is a good athlete that will be a huge benefit for her future program.
Richard Bland College is in Prince George, VA and is a public junior college. The softball program is coached by Morgan Smith, who is a young up-and-coming coach in her third year at the school.
When Marshall arrived at the school for her visit, the family feel stood out immediately, and that had a big impact on her decision.
“One thing that really stuck out to me with Richard Bland has to be the welcoming people all around the campus. They treated me like family as soon as I stepped onto campus grounds,” Marshall said.
Not to look too far ahead as the outfielder still has business to take care of as a Cougar over the next couple weeks, she still knows what she needs to do to be successful at the next level.
“Currently I’m still actively doing High School softball for the state title, so once I’m completed with that, I will continue to stay in the batting cage and on the field focusing on increasing my techniques,” Marshall explained.
Understanding how to balance academics along with practice time and games can be extremely challenging for a young student, but Marshall’s goal is exactly what will make her family proud.
“My personal goal is to try to be the best student athlete that I can be and excel not only as a softball player but as a student at Richard Bland,” she stated.
Marshall’s message to her underclassmen teammates will hopefully help them transition to their new school next year when they join Alleghany.
“I would say to focus on yourself and try to better your skills in every way and be the best athlete and teammate that you could be. Push yourself to your best potential and be a guide and role model for everyone around you,” she finished.
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