Kennedy Carruth is hanging up her cleats for a clipboard.
The star Belhaven softball pitcher, who’s now out of eligibility, was announced on Monday as the newest assistant coach for the Division III Blazers. Head coach Kevin Griffin shared the news on social media:
She’s baaack! I’d love to have her in the circle another year, but happy to announce that Kennedy Carruth will be our new pitching coach @BelhavenSB_ ! As one of the most decorated pitchers in @NCAADIII history, she’ll make an immediate impact on our staff! @NFCAorg pic.twitter.com/xrIlfaY1bI
— Kevin Griffin (@BUCoachGriffin) June 24, 2024
After playing two seasons from 2019-20 at Coastal Alabama Community College, Carruth transferred to Belhaven and quickly began to etch her name into record books. In her first season in Jackson, the Louisiana native won a record seven American Southwest Conference Pitcher of the Week awards on the way to winning the ASC’s Pitcher of the Year award in 2021 – a feat she repeated in 2022.
While Belhaven transitioned to the Collegiate Conference of the South in 2023, Carruth’s production in the circle remained the same. She was named CCS Pitcher of the Year in both 2023 and 2024, leading the Blazers to their first College World Series this past season.
The All-American finished her playing days as the Blazers’ all-time leader in virtually every pitching category, including wins (97), earned run average (1.29), appearances (137), complete games (81), and strikeouts (926). Carruth will now take that experience and knowledge gained along the way and share it with current and future pitchers inside the Belhaven softball program.
