Robbinsville softball standout signs letter of intent
Robbinsville – Another Knight is taking her talents to the next level.
Senior backstop Maggie Knight inked a scholarship to play college softball with the Chattanooga (Tenn.) State Tigers, which plays in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association.
“I’m extremely excited,” Knight said. “Like, it’s just been difficult for me, really. Obviously, I grew up playing, but about a year ago, I thought I was done with it. But my parents kept encouraging me and I just fell back in love with it all over again.”
It is easy to see what attracted the interest of the Tigers. Through three years of varsity softball for Robbinsville, Knight has a .632 batting average, with 14 home runs, 103 RBIs and a .668 slugging percentage. Her .979 fielding percentage and 222 putouts as a Lady Knight cannot be overlooked, either.
Louisburg (N.C.) College heavily courted Knight, it came down to the sense of community that led to her decision to play at Chattanooga State.
“They seemed really, extremely interested in me,” Knight said of Louisburg. “At that point, I didn’t have any confidence in myself, but they were so in love with how I played the game and it just gave me all my confidence back.
“I started playing like I could and then that opened some more doors. Chatt State was one of those doors; I just love the coaches. Also, it’s close to home. They treated me like one of their own.”
Basketball, volleyball and cross-country was something Knight dabbled in early in life, but the diamond proved to have the biggest lure.
“It was always softball. It’s my first love, really,” Knight stated. “My dad taught me how to play and hold a bat left-handed when I was little. Ever since then, it’s been softball.”
Knight’s older sister Abigail Knight is currently a member of the Boston College Eagles, while her father Billy Knight is the skipper for the Lady Knights.
But Robbinsville’s success in recent years – including a 24-win season and a 1A Western Regional appearance in 2019 – has college scouts around the country looking to Graham County when planning for the future.
“That speaks a lot for the coaches,” Knight explained. “The practices we go through are unlike any other. They expect the best from us.”
Maggie plans to study psychiatry while in college, to pursue a career in either psychotherapy or mental health nursing.