North Georgia College & State University’s softball team finished its season earlier this month in the South Atlantic Regionals of the NCAA tournament. The Lady Saints’ roster features two starters from Oconee County High School - Kasey Knight and Kaelin Farrington.

Farrington graduated in 2003.

“It’s a lifestyle to play college sports,” Farrington said. “You wear your practice stuff to class. You go to practice for four hours a day. People show up to games and the field is ready, but it’s the players and coaches that get it ready. We go out there and pick weeds and pick up rocks. It consumes your life when you are in college in a good way. Whatever you have left over is extra.”

The majority of the North Georgia roster is made up of girls from Georgia, but there is a player from Ohio and Maryland.

“When you play in high school, you go back to your mom and dad at the end of the night,” Farrington said. “Your family is your team in college and you depend on each other. I’ve gained the best friends in my life through my team because you depend on each other on and off the field.”

The Lady Saints came up one win short of advancing to the NCAA Division II College World Series in Houston, Texas. Francis Marion University defeated North Georgia 3-0 and 1-0 in the championship to advance.

“We had a practice January 11 and we said ‘Houston’ that day,” Farrington said. “We were short on our goal, but as a young team, we did a great job. I couldn’t be prouder of our team and the success of our team. We weren’t expected to be there. We all believed, but with such young talent you weren’t sure how far you were going to go. I wish we would have come out the last game and won it. It was heartbreaking to lose the last game, but it was a good experience.”

The Lady Saints were runner-ups in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament and finished the season with a 38-15 record overall and 10-8 against Peach Belt opponents.

“It’s very competitive,” Farrington said about the Peach Belt. “You didn’t know who was going to beat who on any given day.”

Farrington is the only junior on the roster. There are two seniors, and the rest are sophomores and freshmen.

“Coach (Mike) Davenport is one of the few coaches, and (Oconee County High School head softball) Coach (Brian) Dickens is like this, where you care about winning and you care about who you are off the field,” Farrington said. “Coach Davenport, after we lost the last game, said this doesn’t define you as a person. That was important to hear because at that point, it’s hard to find the good things after you lose. He was right. The success of the year doesn’t fall on that one game.”

Farrington started out at Mercer University and left after a year with no plans of playing softball again. She then went to the University of Georgia, played a year of club softball and decided to attend North Georgia. She sat out the 2007 season because the year of club at Georgia.

This season, Farrington started in each of the 47 games she played and was also 1-0 in the pitching circle. At Oconee County, she was a pitcher and second baseman. She learned to play first base this season.

“It’s great because you have the ball a lot,” Farrington said. “I loved being a pitcher because you have the ball a lot. I’ve always played positions growing up. I had to learn the position. A lot of the girls who had played first base helped me out on the field too.”

During the summer, Farrington volunteers at Oconee County High School’s softball camp, hosted by Brian Dickens. Farrington is a middle grades education major.

“I love young children. That’s the reason I am in education. Just one moment with a child can affect a life,” Farrington said. “You know that in college athletics because you do have young people come to our games. It’s a good experience. I came to the camps and they passed their knowledge on to me, and I hope to do the same. I know how important athletics were to me, and I want other children to experience that too.”

Farrington is set to graduate in August, but she has a year of softball eligibility left and she will play in 2009. She will also get a master’s in physical education.

Matthew Caldwell is sports editor of The Oconee Leader. He can be reached by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at (706) 310-1104.

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