Shelby Wilson, a junior outfielder from Clyo, Georgia, has been making waves as a consistent hitter on the Georgia Southern softball team.

Along with Logan Harrell, she is a leader on the plate. Wilson has accumulated a .403 hitting average, seven home runs and 31 hits so far this season.

“I try to lead by example,” Wilson said. “When I make a mistake I try to keep my head up, so they know if they make a mistake it’s fine and you’ll get another chance. That’s where I try to be the biggest leader is being a leader at the plate, when people do good and get on base I want to hit them in.”

She has remained solid on defense, even after head coach Kim Dean changed her position this season, after playing infielder for the first half of her collegiate career.

“This is my first year playing outfield,” Wilson said. “I’ve been playing softball for a very long time and this is the first year I’m out there.”

She had a highly decorated high school career, complete with three All-State selections, the 2014 Region 3- AAAAA Co-Player of the Year title, 2015 Region 3-AAAAA Player of the Year title, 2014 Savannah Best of Preps Player of the Year title and she led her alma mater to the region title in 2012.

She was named the Wendy’s High School Heisman at her school, while being apart of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.

Wilson has been continuing her academic excellence here at GS. She has made the Sun Belt Conference Academic Commissioner’s List both years she’s been here. As an exercise science major, she plans to be a high school science teacher in the future, while coaching softball.

“Grades are very important to me,” Wilson said. “I set the bar high, probably higher than I do in softball, for myself for my grades. Just taking the time and using the things that we’re given like the Student Resource Center in Cone is important.”

She has high hopes for the rest of the season, especially with the help of Ally Claytor, a graduate student serving as team’s sports psychologist. The team, currently 16-15 and 3-6 in the conference, has a tough set of games coming up with Louisiana.

“Ally has helped me so much. I think with that mental mindset and really accepting the adversity and not shying away from it,” Wilson said. “We’ve lost a few games that we probably shouldn’t have lost, we could’ve done better.”

Wilson credits her success to God, which can be heard through her walk up song, “Unstoppable God” by Elevation Worship. She thinks of the song as a reminder that she wouldn’t be where she is today without God’s guidance.

Now that half of the season is over, she is looking forward to picking up conference play and ultimately making it to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

“I think we’ve been met with some adversity but that’s what the best teams do is overcome the adversity,” Wilson said. “I still think that we set the future and we set if we go to conference or not.”

Shelby Wilson prides herself on trying to remain positive as a student athlete. As a fierce competitor on and off the field, she uses the following quote as her mantra:

“It’s a game of failure, so when you fail, go up there next time and forget about the last one.”

Amanda Arnold, The George-Anne Sports Reporter, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu