FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Abbey Ammons knew she wanted to play softball after watching her mother.
“My mother inspired and encouraged me to play softball,” she said. “I remember watching her play when I was a little kid. I enjoyed attending the games with my Pappy Ab and I hoped to one day play the game, too. I was 4 years old when I began playing T-ball and baseball. I transitioned to softball at 8 years old. My mother helped coach my very first softball team, the Wadestown Wildcats.”
A Wana native, Ammons is a 2018 graduate of Clay-Battelle.
As a freshman last season, Ammons had two hits and one RBI. She helped Fairmont State secure a win at Urbana when she broke a 3-3 tie by hitting a sacrifice fly into right field.
Ammons had an excellent career at Clay-Battelle. She was a four-year standout on both the softball and basketball teams.
“I enjoyed playing both basketball and softball in high school,” she said. “Playing two sports allowed me to obtain leadership skills, discipline and character, and both taught me many valuable life lessons. It was fun to compete in two completely different sports.”
As a member of the softball team, Ammons earned first team all-state three times and second team honors once. She also earned first team all-Mason-Dixon four times. As a member of the basketball team, she earned all-state honorable mention four times. She left Clay-Battelle as the school’s all-time leading scorer, with 1,390 points.
“It is an honor to leave such a legacy and memory to share,” Ammons said. “It’s humbling to return to my alma mater and see my name on the wall recognizing all my accomplishments. I could not have achieved that goal without the help and support of my coaches, teammates, family, friends and community.”
Ammons said playing softball at Fairmont State is much different from Clay-Battelle.
“Collegiate softball is an elite group of highly skilled athletes,” she said. “College softball takes team bonding to a whole other level. During season, you spend every single day with your teammates. Your college teammates are much more than just your friends — they are your family and your biggest supporters.”
Ammons is looking forward to her sophomore season.
“My freshman season was a learning experience and an adjustment from high school,” she said. “A year of experience has boosted my confidence in my skills and capabilities. I look forward to a successful season with my team.”
Ammons said the transition from high school to college was somewhat challenging.
“Compared to college, high school was a breeze,” she said. “College classes are much more fast-paced and stressful, and the expectations of self-teaching in college are much higher than that of high school. It takes a lot of effective study and time management skills.”
Being close to home was one of the reasons Ammons decided to attend Fairmont State.
“I chose to attend Fairmont State because of the proximity to home and the small class sizes,” she said. “This university just felt like a second home to me, and coach (John) Light gave me the opportunity to play the game I love at the collegiate level. Fairmont State introduced me to many of my best friends, but also keeps me close to my first friends. My best friend Caitlyn Kassay has been by my side from my first softball game as a Wadestown Wildcat, to a Clay-Battelle Cee-Bee, to now a Fairmont State Falcon. It’s awesome that we can attain our softball dream together.”
Ammons said Wana is different from Fairmont.
“Wana is a very close-knit community in the country,” she said. “Fairmont is a big city compared to my small community. City noises and sirens replace the sounds of nature at home.”
Ammons is majoring in pre-pharmacy/biology.
“I aspire to attend pharmacy school with hopes of one day becoming a pharmacist.”
Ammons said managing both academics and playing softball is not easy.
“Playing collegiate softball and being a student are both full-time jobs,” she said. “Between 6 a.m. lifts, practices and games, on top of class and studying hours, there isn’t much free time for a collegiate athlete. It requires lots of time-management and dedication.”
She is the daughter of Ronald and Lisa Ammons. She has one sibling.
In her spare time, Ammons enjoys vacationing at the beach and spending time with her family and friends.
