June 12, 2003
Bowling Green, Ky. - Imagine breaking your hand in the first game of the season, then proceeding to break five school records and become the first player in Western Kentucky University softball history to be named first team all-region. For sophomore Shelly Floyd, this vision was a reality in 2003.
In just her second year on the Hill, Floyd set five single-season records, narrowly missed out on becoming the second player in WKU history to win the team's triple crown, and became the first Hilltopper to be named all-region after putting together the "greatest offensive season" in school history- all after breaking a bone in her throwing hand in the Toppers' season-opener against Southern Illinois.
"It is scary to think about what she could have done had she been healthy," said WKU head coach Leslie Phelan. "She was hitting .450 for quite some time in a great deal of pain."
Healthy or not, Floyd racked up 11 more RBI (46), hit three more home runs (nine), had seven more multiple-RBI games (15), slugged 26 points higher (.596) and finished with six more total bases than the previous record holder entering the 2003 campaign.
"It is an honor to make all region, but to be the first one is even more special," said Floyd. "We have so much talent on this team that I know I will not be the last. Everyone just needs one big breakout year."
For Floyd, the breakout season began in the first week as the Hilltoppers opened with a trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take part in the Bama Bash. In the first game of the year, SIU's Amy Harre jammed Floyd in one at bat en route to an 0-for-3 day at the plate. Despite the initial pain and swelling, Floyd played through it and was selected to the Bama Bash's all-tournament team, thanks in part to her performance against Alabama where she belted her first homer of the season.
The injury worsened with each at bat, as the impact of hitting led to more swelling and bone chips breaking off. Even so, Floyd followed up her 0-for-3 showing in the season opener by stringing together a 10-game hit streak, batting .531 (17-32) during that stretch. She was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week for her efforts in Tuscaloosa and followed up the Bama Bash with an all-tournament selection at the Frost Classic.
"I just took a different view this year. I started to look at the pitch as a basketball instead of a softball," said Floyd. "I was seeing the ball the best I ever have, so I knew this year was going to be different."
Floyd continued to knock the cover off the ball and drive runners home in bunches, but the injury finally reached its breaking point against Valparaiso. Despite a career-high four hits, including her sixth homer of the season, and four RBI (giving her 26 through 21 games and a record-tying eight multi-RBI games), Floyd rounded the bases on her last at bat in tears.
"It was to the point where I couldn't pick up a drink with that hand," said Floyd.
X-rays confirmed the worst, delegating Floyd to the sideline with a fresh new cast over her hand. When all was said and done, Floyd missed 11 games (in which the Hilltoppers went 4-7) including WKU's trip to the Buzz Classic, where the team belted eight home runs in a three-game span (with a school-record five against Lipscomb).
"I was so mad. I just wanted to be out there to get a piece of the action myself," said Floyd.
"We had to take bats away from her," said Phelan. "It is hard to look at someone who wants to play so badly as a negative thing. I want all my players to be like that, itching to get back in."
Floyd finally returned to action on April 2 in a doubleheader with Evansville and immediately made her presence felt. After picking up an RBI in the first game, Floyd smashed her seventh round-tripper of the season in the second installment to set new school records for home runs and multi-RBI games.
Less than two weeks later, Floyd toppled her third WKU record with a four-RBI game, her third of the year, against SBC-foe Middle Tennessee to up her season total to 37, surpassing Sara Alanis' previous mark of 35.
The time away hardly subsided the pain for Floyd, who saw her production begin to drop off as the injury continued to plague WKU's power hitter. Before heading to the sidelines, she was hitting .451 over 21 games. After returning to action, Floyd hit just .277 (25-for-90) over the remaining 29 games. The drought worsened with Floyd finding out she had been left off both all-conference teams.
"At the beginning of the year, I just went out and played without any cares, but after awhile I felt like I had to make things happen," said Floyd. "Once I found out I didn't make all-conference, I felt like I needed to prove something to everyone and I started trying too hard."
The late-season slump would eventually cost Floyd the team's batting title, denying her the chance to become the second player in WKU history to win the team's triple crown (Alan's accompished the feat in 2000).
"I did not expect to have this good of a year by any means," said Floyd. "I wish I could have won the batting title, but I'm just glad for the year I had."
A prototypical utility player, Floyd played every position in the infield at one time or another this past year for the Hilltoppers. While she saw a majority of her action at second base, injuries to other players required Floyd to make the move to shortstop for the entire conference slate, which ended up costing her a spot on the all-SBC team.
"It was a terrible injustice. It's not just about defense, because she is clearly one of the top hitters in the league," said Phelan. "The main reason she missed out was because we had to nominate her at shortstop, and it just happened to be a year with three great shortstops. If we would have put her up at second, she would have been a first-team selection."
Vindication came a few weeks later when Floyd was named first-team all-South Region.
"That was wonderful. I knew she had a shot to make one of the all-region teams, but I was pleasantly surprised she made the first team," said Phelan.
"It hurt to not make all-conference, but I would much rather be an all-region player," said Floyd.
Heading into her third season at Western, Floyd is already within striking distance of several career records. She already ranks first all-time in slugging percentage (.502) and shares first place with 19 career multi-RBI games. With 61 RBI over her first two years, she needs just 27 next season to move into first place all-time. Not to mention she sits just two home runs shy of teammate Jessie Richardson in first. Whatever next season holds in store for Floyd at the plate, it will be the defensive play of WKU's slugger that she takes the most pride in.
"I like defense more than anything. Hitting comes and goes," said Floyd. "I like the challenge of stopping people. Home runs come every once in a while, but you can make a great play on defense every inning."
Of course, where she plays on defense is always a question.
"When I first came to school the coaches had me playing in the outfield until they realized I could not judge a fly ball," said Floyd. "I like being versatile and helping out where I'm needed."
"She basically played any position that we asked her to play. That can be hard," said Phelan. "Sometimes that can effect productivity, but that wasn't the case with her. She played consistently well all season long."
Having lost just two seniors to graduation, the Hilltoppers and Floyd should be back in "full force" come 2004.
- WKU -
