By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – From the brim of her cowboy hat to the bottom of her boots, Kendall Graves is a total farm girl, not afraid to get dirty when caring for her herd of show animals, completely comfortable amidst the smells and noises in the 4-H fairgrounds barn.
That lifestyle translates perfectly to the softball diamond. Graves loves the dirty work, playing in the dirt (or now the rubber pellets on the turf fields) as a slick, fearless shortstop. From the tip of her glove to the bottom of her cleats, she’s a total-package player with five tools.
Graves fulfilled a family goal and personal dream when she signed to play for Butler University on Wednesday evening. After completing her upcoming senior season at Bedford North Lawrence, she will leave her cattle, horses, sheep and swine at home and depart for the big city. She’s got the big-time game for the bright lights.
After playing third base as a freshman, Graves moved to shortstop the last two years and made her mark. At the plate, she hit .360 (with 7 home runs and 33 RBIs) as a sophomore, then .371 (with 8 homers and 30 RBIs) while earning All-Hoosier Hills Conference honors as a junior. Offense gets the glory, but her defensive ability sets her apart.
“Defense is definitely my favorite part,” Graves said. “I just love being out there.”
“I’m just in awe, because I get to see practice, and the balls Coach (D.J.) West hits to her,” BNL coach Brad Gilbert said. “She just goes and gets it. Her range is great, her arm is super strong. She just makes play after play, all the tough plays and the routine plays.”
Graves started her softball journey at age 6. Her father drove her around the Midwest for travel ball, her mother and extended family helped care for the animals, so she lived the best of both worlds, rather than choosing between two time-consuming passions. “Getting to do both has been once-in-a-lifetime,” she said. “It’s fun times. I fell in love, not only with the game, but the people I met along the way. I’ve met a lot of friends and good coaches. It’s been a journey.”
She chose the Butler Way because of her connection with the coaching staff. Head coach Scott Hall, a 15-year veteran with the program, guided the Bulldogs to a 23-29 record last season, including an 11-13 mark in the Big East.
“I love the atmosphere,” Graves said. “They weren’t so up-tight.”
Graves is one of four Butler signees in the 2025 class, including pitchers Alyx Johnson (Watertown, Wis.) and Kate Murray (Fishers, Ind.) plus infielder Kayla Preiss (Germantown, Wis.).
“Kendall is going to be a key contributor on the infield for us,” Hall said in a press release. “She is a great defender with a great glove. At the plate, her athleticism, ability to hit for power, and ability to hit for average are great additions to our lineup.”
Her glove got her on the field as a BNL freshman. Her work ethic, another tip of the cap to the rural farm upbringing, got her bat up to speed. Now she’s a key contributor, one of the reasons the Stars are strong up the middle.
“I knew I had to step up, I needed to fill a spot,” she said. “I wanted to prove myself, that I could play at that level.”
