Gordon Lee center fielder Gracey Kruse helped lead the Lady Trojans to the GHSA Class AA title this season, their fifth state championship in six seasons. She has committed to UTC.Two sophomore stars from Gordon Lee’s state champion softball team, shortstop Faith Alexander and center fielder Gracey Kruse, have committed to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
They will be going from playing for coach Dana Mull to playing at her college alma mater for her father, Frank Reed.
“I don’t pressure my players to go there, but I’m glad about it,” Mull said Saturday. “And I know he’s very excited to get them.”
Reed demonstrated his persuasiveness in each case, combined with UTC’s championship tradition and campus attractiveness. While happy they will be staying together, the players visited UTC separately and committed separately, and each was expecting to go farther from home.
“When I started touring, I just liked it,” said Alexander, admitting that being able to live on campus would suit her desire to go off to college. “I knew playing for Frank Reed would be a good opportunity. It was really an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.”
Alexander had interest from Texas, South Carolina, Kennesaw State, UAB and Tennessee Tech. Kruse had offers from Tennessee Tech and Young Harris with more expected.
“I didn’t really think I wanted to go to UTC,” the outfielder said, “but when I visited he talked to me and I just felt like I would be happy there.”
The two led the 37-2 Lady Trojans in batting this past fall as they won the GHSA Class AA championship, the program’s fifth state title in the past six seasons.
“Faith hit around .460 for the year and Gracey hit .540 or so, and half her hits went for extra bases,” Mull said. “She’s a good outfielder. She’s not afraid to lay out to make a play, and she has a good arm. And I think Faith’s a great shortstop, but I can see her settling in at second base in college, like I did.”
Frost Falcons 00 coach Steve Frost said Alexander played much of the 2015 summer season for him with a strained thigh “and still had a really good year.”
“I think Frank’s really lucky to have her,” Frost said. “She’s very competitive and gives it everything she’s got.”
Kruse plays for the Tennessee Platinum Fury and Jeremy Higdon, who said, “Defensively she’s really a standout. She has a big, big arm and really good speed. The interesting thing is seeing her progress as a hitter and become a more complete hitter. She’s really, really smart and kind of the motor of our team.”
Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.