Kennedy continuing Gibson’s legacy

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Texas A&M ace Emiley Kennedy has been on a tear this year. She earned her first SEC Pitcher of the Week honor of her career earlier this season and then followed that up with the same award the following week thanks to 16 strikeouts in a single game.

“I was really shocked, actually,” Emiley Kennedy exclaimed. “Back to back. I was not expecting it. But I’m feeling pretty good. It’s my junior year, I think it’s all starting to click,” Kennedy added.

Kennedy is the first Aggie to receive back-to-back conference pitcher of the week honors since All-American Megan Gibson in 2008. And Gibson just happens to be one of Kennedy’s mentors.

“I think it’s really cool and the connection continues with her and me to bond over that,” explained Megan Gibson-Loftin. “I think it’s cool that she broke that. And I hope she breaks all my records that I have if there are any left,” Gibson-Loftin added.

While Kennedy has shown off her talent since the moment she stepped on campus as a freshman, Gibson has noticed “lefty,” as the team calls her, has a different presence about her this year, and a nasty changeup added to the arsenal.

“She finally expanded her view on her pitching,” Gibson-Loftin said. “When she was able to do that and see the type of pitcher she could be and not the type pitcher she already was, when she started to see a little bit of success I think she built on it. Her mentality has really gotten better and a lot stronger,” Gibson-Loftin added.

“I think mentally I sat myself down and said I’m good, but I want to be great,” Kennedy said. “I want to be an All-American at the end of the year. I have to change certain things including my mentality to get there. I think this year I’m making those steps to where I need to be,” added Kennedy.

“There’s no turning back for her,” Gibson-Loftin stated. “I’m really excited to see how this year finishes and pans out for her because she has all the tools and the ability to be an All-American,” Gibson-Loftin added.

The connection between Gibson and Kennedy goes beyond their accolades on the field or their work together during the summers. Both wear number 11.

“I wear it because of Megan Gibson,” explained Kennedy. “She wore 11 here. She’s a two-time All-American, back-to-back years. Megan’s part of the reason I am the pitcher I am today, part of the reason I’m at A&M. I feel like representing her on the field means the world,” Kennedy added.

“She was like I’m deciding between this number and number 11, and I was like are you? And she was like yea, what do you think about that? I’m like if that’s the number you want to be... and she’s like well I want to be that number because you’re that number. I was like oh my gosh that’s so awesome!” Gibson-Loftin recounted.

Gibson left a lasting impact on Emiley Kennedy, and she just wants to do the same for the next generation.

“I want to leave the school knowing I made it better and that little girls will look up to me and want to be me one day,” Kennedy said. “Because I looked up to Megan, I looked up to Cat Osterman, I looked up to Amanda Scarborough. So I want to be that person for the next generation,” Kennedy added.

Kennedy and the Aggie softball team will be back in action this Saturday on the road at Alabama for a three-game series.