News
From Bruiser to Blue Devil
Senior Shelby Walters signs letter of intent to play softball at Duke University
As some high school seniors prepare for their own personal versions of finals—final classes, final dances, final games—Girls Preparatory School’s starting right-handed pitcher, senior Shelby Walters, is looking forward to a lot of firsts. When Walters signed her national letter of intent to play softball for Duke University (Durham, North Carolina) last Thursday evening, she became part of a brand new sport at the university. Her goal: "It would be cool to say I pitched the first no-hitter or the first perfect game."
This September 30, Duke played its first women’s softball game—a game more than three and a half years in the making since the program was announced by the school in December 2013, marking the school’s 27th varsity sport. Walters was one of seven high school scholar-athletes to sign this year with Duke; she had an offer to play at the University of North Carolina and interest from other schools as well. "One of the reasons I chose Duke is I love the coaches," Walters says. "They're young and understand what it's like to be a player. The head coach is a former pitcher."
Although her family, coaches, and supporters just celebrated her signing with a reception Thursday night at GPS, Walters has had her eye on Duke for quite some time and had verbally committed to the Blue Devils in September 2015 as a sophomore. She amassed an amazing career as a star pitcher for GPS and led her team to the TSSAA DII-AA State Championship in 2014 with runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2017. She was a Best of Preps honoree with a 1.10 ERA last season, including four no-hitters and two perfect games for GPS.
“Ever since I’ve known Shelby, she’s had a singular goal: to play Division I softball while maintaining high academic standards,” says GPS Head Softball Coach Susan Crownover. “She has worked very hard to achieve her goals with a lot of determination.”
As impressive as her softball stats are, Walters is also a standout in the classroom. A lover of science, this year at GPS she's taking anatomy, AP biology, forensics, and neuroscience. She plans to study pre-med at Duke. "You go to a school because of your scholarship but, after four years and softball ends, you need to leave with something worthwhile," Walters says. "And a degree from Duke would be great."
As impressive as her softball stats are, Walters is also a standout in the classroom. A lover of science, this year at GPS she's taking anatomy, AP biology, forensics, and neuroscience. She plans to study pre-med at Duke. "You go to a school because of your scholarship but, after four years and softball ends, you need to leave with something worthwhile," Walters says. "And a degree from Duke would be great."
While Walters is excited about her senior year at GPS, she’s also optimistic about what lies ahead—being a part of building an athletic team at one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the United States. The GPS community is proud of her accomplishments.
