Spell softball tradition for new generation

News was received of a talented young girl with family ties here in Rayne and who has been recruited by Tulsa University to be a part of their sports program with their women’s softball team.
Rylie Spell, daughter of Brent and Ranna Spell of Pearland, texas, is ranked as one of the top catchers in the country. This no surprise to her family and friends.
Rylie is a fourth generation softball catcher. Her dad Brent Spell, her grandfather Larry Spell, and her great-grandfather Leroy Spell, were all catchers in the local softball leagues, including the Fast-Pitch programs popular in the area.
Rylie’s family in Rayne is grandmother Joyce Spell, aunt Linda Cummings, and many cousins, as well as friends of the parish.
Rylie is an outstanding power hitter and a strong catch who has a tremendous record in her favorite sport, softball. She was named a Third Team NFCA All-Ameircan after hitting .445 with a .528 on-base percentage, along with 43 RBI’s during the past season where she played in both the Texas 5A State Championship and the American Softball Association (ASA) Gold National Championship competitions.
Rylie is a high school senior in Pearland where she looks forward to her senior year and participating in her beloved softball program. She not only achieves much in her athletic programs, she has also earned many honors in her school and has a 4.19 GPA and scored an outstanding 1860 on the SAT National Test.
Her honors in just the past year included ASA Gold Nationals Runner-Up, 5th place in the Triple Nations Crown All-American, Texas 5A State Runner-Up, All-District Academic Award, 9th place ASA Gold Nationals, 3rd place Triple Crown Nationals, and Triple Crown All-American.
Rylie’s softball games are year-round and this past summer she added a .430 batting average and 12 home runs, in addition to a Colorado competition where she went 10-for-19 for the tournament.
Coach Bargfeldt of Tulsa watched her play only one game and offered her an athletic scholarship. She committed to the program and will attend after her graduation in June.
As she continues her participation as catcher during her senior year, it is probable that she will continue to be awarded honors and be recognized for her talent as an outstanding catcher and scholar as generations past.