By Jimmy Lewis

Staff Writer

The Standard Laconic

Reprinted with permission

Three measly feet.

At first glance, one would think that the transition from the high school softball pitching distance of 40 feet to the collegiate distance of 43 feet would give the hitter that extra edge needed to excel at the next level.

But throw in pitchers whose repertoire usually goes beyond the basic diet of fastballs and changeups and the chess match begins anew.

Greene Central alumna Cassie Webb knows this elevated battle all too well. As a softball player at Greene Central, Webb garnered Eastern Plains all-conference selections in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons in Snow Hill. After landing in Buies Creek as a member of the Lady Camels, Webb had to make her fair share of adjustments at the plate, but ended up hitting .242 in her first season at Campbell. Along the way, Webb played in 36 games and started 21 of them. As a freshman, she tied for the Atlantic Sun Conference lead in fielding percentage with a perfect 1.000 mark in 63 chances at first base.

"I take a lot of pride in defense and making plays," Webb said.

But an injury short-circuited her sophomore season as Webb only played in 18 contests for the Lady Camels in 2008. From the bench, she watched Campbell rebound from a 9-13 mark in conference play in 2008 en route to a 42-25 record and the Atlantic Sun tournament championship. The team was sent to Chapel Hill for an NCAA regional where Webb, as a Duke fan growing up, saw the Camels evict North Carolina from the postseason.

Fast forward to 2009, and Campbell is off to a 27-11 start overall and 12-4 in league play. A hamstring injury has limited Webb to nine starts in 13 games thus far while she maintains a .231 average and an unblemished fielding percentage in 33 chances. With senior Karlie Love crashing into Division I leader boards with a robust .409 at first base with 13 home runs, Webb has been seeing time at the designated player spot in Atlantic Sun play.

The NCAA's mantra of student-athletes "going pro in something other than sports" takes added significance in softball, where professional playing opportunities aren't as readily available. But Webb is well equipped for life after softball.

Both freshman and sophomore seasons saw Webb named to the Atlantic Sun's All-Academic team and was tabbed a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar athlete in 2008. In addition, she appeared on Campbell's Presidential Honor Roll, which recognizes cumulative grade point averages of at least 3.5.

Webb is an elementary education major with plans to pursue a master's degree following graduation. The daughter of Zack and Karen Webb, Cassie has a younger sister, Liz, a current pitcher and second baseman for the Lady Rams.

Like her older sister, Liz will soon embark on the collegiate softball experience, having signed with Division II Barton College out of Wilson.