Singling out the shortstop: Savannah Rawls’ journey through softball
For the Lady Jags softball team at Cedar Shoals, it would be hard to imagine a game without junior shortstop Savannah Rawls, whose softball career began way back in East Athens Little League (EALL).
Varsity softball head coach Logan Garrett has coached Rawls since she joined the EALL team. Garrett has seen Rawls growth in her playing style and confidence on the field.
“She is more aggressive this year with her fielding. Instead of moving away from the ball, she’s moving to the ball to make more outs,” Garrett said.
Teammate Kerrington Gresham adds that Rawls excels at multiple positions each with their own skill set.
“She’s a really good softball player. She plays well when she’s up to bat and she’s focused when she’s playing shortstop,” Gresham said.
While seeing Rawls improve her skillset, Garrett has also seen her grow into a team leader.
“She’s a helper with the coaches. If we need her to assist someone in practice with learning a new skill or carry items from the bus, she’s always willing and able to help with that,” Garrett said.
Within the culture of the team itself, Rawls says the Lady Jags have their own ways of encouraging each other.
“We have a giant whiteboard, and every time we get a run, a hit, a strike out or something special, we put a sticker on the board. I definitely want to add some more stickers on there,” Rawls said.
When it comes to encouragement, Gresham believes that Rawls plays a significant role in motivating teammates.
“She’s definitely someone who raises the morale of the team,” Gresham said.
Rawls looked up to several players during her first few years playing softball. Interactions with these players led Rawls to look back on them as leaders that she wants to emulate.
“They should join softball but only if you can be committed. I think that goes for any sport, but specifically softball. There’s so many aspects you have to learn and you just have to be patient, because when you first start out it seems impossible, it’s so hard, but if you put in the work and you keep trying, then you’ll end up being really good,”
“Delia McElhannon, Amelia Hembree and Ashley Nash, they were seniors last year and they were really good. They helped you when you needed it as well as just being well rounded in every department,” Rawls said.
Because seniors are well respected players, graduating and leaving the team makes it difficult for the team to recover.
“It’s hard to lose players, especially when seniors leave. Not only are they more experienced, but they just add to the environment and the fun. So it’s a hard period to adjust to at first but you get used to it and find your dynamic with them. It’s just a lot of practice and getting to know each other so you can get the chemistry down,” Rawls said.
On the other hand, the difficulty of losing seniors has caused Rawls to become more of a leader on the team. She had some goals that the team completed by the end of the 2025 season such as improving communication.
“Sometimes we mess up on the field from not communicating where the play is headed or where the ball might be coming,” Rawls said.
Bringing the encouragement that circulates throughout the team, Rawls hopes that more students will join the team next season.
“They should join softball but only if you can be committed. I think that goes for any sport, but specifically softball. There’s so many aspects you have to learn and you just have to be patient, because when you first start out it seems impossible, it’s so hard, but if you put in the work and you keep trying, then you’ll end up being really good,” Rawls said.
