Harrell Named Senior CLASS Award Candidate

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall softball fifth-year senior Aly Harrell was named a Senior CLASS Award candidate, the organization announced Wednesday.

Thirty student-athletes were chosen among all of the seniors across Division I. Harrell is one of two players from Conference USA selected along with Bailey Vannoy of Charlotte. Harrell is the third Herd softball player to be named a candidate following Rachel Folden in 2008 and Morgan Zerkle in 2017. Both Folden and Zerkle was also named as finalists.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate-student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.

"Aly is absolutely deserving of this nomination," Herd head coach Megan Smith Lyon said. "She is a true student-athlete who excels in the classroom and makes a huge impact on the field and in the community. What's even more impressive about Aly is her character. She is loyal, selfless and a strong leader. I couldn't ask for a better person and player to represent Marshall softball."

Harrell, who will go down as one of the greatest players in program and school history, opted to return to Marshall for her fifth season, after having the extra year of eligibility granted following the 2020 COVID season. She is currently working on her post baccalaureate in the college of science.

"My younger self could have only dreamed of being selected for an award like this," Harrell said. "I am honored to be recognized among these other seniors and honored to have the opportunity to continue to grow this amazing sport!"

Harrell's impact has been felt on and off the field since she first came to the Herd as a freshman in 2017-18. Her freshman year in 2018 started slow but picked up speed as she ended the year as the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and named First Team All-C-USA. The Gahanna, Ohio, native bat .350 and set a team freshman record with 11 home runs (since broken).

Since then, Harrell has led an all-out assault on the Marshall softball record book with her hitting, defense, and her incredible eye at the plate.

In 2019, the left-hander set single-season team records for games played (64), games started (64), walks (68) and putouts (459). Harrell led the nation in total walks with 68, tied for 19th-most in a season in NCAA history. She helped lead Marshall back to the Conference USA Tournament Championship game, and later the team's first trip to the NISC Tournament.

Through just 25 games in 2020, Harrell reached base safely in 24 contests and drew 23 more walks. Over the span of 89 games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Harrell combined for more free passes (walks and hit-by-pitches) than any other player in Division I. She totaled 114 with 91 walks and 23 hit-by-pitches. The next closest player was Bailey Hemphill of Alabama with 86.

The fifth-year senior has been known as a big-time slugger in clutch situations, and sometimes causing damage beyond the outfield. In 2018, Harrell hit a home run against (RV) James Madison at home out to right that hit off the fender of a car. In 2021, she did it again with a homer to right-center against Florida Atlantic that crashed through the back windshield of a car in the outfield parking lot. In the same series, Harrell hit a walk-off double in the ninth to defeat the Owls and was immediately mugged by her teammates after the run scored.

Harrell's named can be found in many places in the career standings in Marshall softball history as she continues to climb in her final season. The slugger is the Herd's all-time leader in on base percentage at .554. She is second in walks with 145, needing just three more to move ahead of Folden. Harrell can also be found in the MUSB top 10 as she is third in home runs (42), third in RBI (146), third in slugging percentage (.733), third in hit-by-pitches (40), third in fielding percentage (.987), tied for fourth in total bases (348), fifth in batting average (.383), sixth in putouts (1,037), eighth in doubles (40), and 10th in runs scored (115).

Along with having a great eye at the plate to draw walks, Harrell is among the toughest to strikeout in program history. Harrell has struck out just 30 times in 475 at bats (.063), good for the third-best rate at Marshall. She has reached base safely in 166 of her 185 career games.

Harrell can be seen on the field with a big smile and one of the first to celebrate her teammates' successes. She is a player that many young ladies look up to. Harrell loves to talk with the younger generation to help build them up and let them know to keep working for their dreams.

Off the field in her time in Huntington, Harrell has volunteered at the VA Hospital and the Hoops Children's Hospital. She has spent time with the Huntington Little League team and still spends time with them when she can. One of her favorite activities has been to walk dogs at the local animal shelter. Harrell has helped with the Marshall Sweetheart Clinic where athletes from the women's teams with the Herd come together and work with many younger girls from the area, teaching them about the sport they play and showcasing drills.

For all of the latest information on the Marshall Softball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdSB, Facebook at Marshall University Softball and on www.herdzone.com.

---HerdZone.com---

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