Warren

Local softball player’s journey will continue

By Mark Vest
C & G Sports Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by Edward Osinski Warren Woods Tower’s Shelby Weeks has a reason to be all smiles. The Titans infielder, picture with dad Gregg and mom Beth, signed on to continue her softball career at Saginaw Valley State University Nov. 22 at Tower. Photo by Edward Osinski Warren Woods Tower’s Shelby Weeks has a reason to be all smiles. The Titans infielder, picture with dad Gregg and mom Beth, signed on to continue her softball career at Saginaw Valley State University Nov. 22 at Tower.

Before Shelby Weeks ever stepped onto the softball field for the Titans, coach Lance Sell knew she was someone who was going to leave her mark on the Warren Woods Tower program.

Although the Titans’ girls varsity softball coach hadn’t worked directly with her, Sell certainly knew of her.

The buzz about Weeks’ skills on a softball diamond was becoming difficult to ignore.

“I knew she was coming up,” Sell said. “I had heard nothing but good things about her, and I saw her at the middle-school level. I knew she was special back then. I knew right along she was going to be a standout.”

The hopes Sell had for his future shortstop have proven to be well-founded. Weeks has compiled quite the list of accomplishments in her first three seasons of play for the Titans.

She has received All-Conference, All-District, All-Region and All-County honors since walking through the doors of Warren Woods Tower. Weeks has also been the named the MAC MVP in each of her last two seasons, for the Silver and Gold divisions, respectively.

All of that while helping to lead her team to three consecutive league championships.

With a résumé like that, it should surprise nobody that some college programs came calling. Weeks sifted through a list of suitors before opting to continue her softball career at Saginaw Valley State University next season. She officially signed her letter of intent Nov. 22 at Tower.

“I feel great,” she said. “My first time (visiting) I loved it there. It just felt right. They have a good education, and their softball team is really good.”

Rare is the ball player who excels at every facet of the game. But according to Sell, there are no kinks in his shortstop’s armor.

“All through the years, I’ve said over and over that she has all the intangibles,” he said. “She does it all — everything from fielding to throwing, to batting. She batted (third), but I could have bunted her a lot more. We let her swing away because she has great power. She’s a hard out to get.”

Weeks’ stats help to tell the story of why her coach is excited to have her on his team. Last season, she batted over .600, while hitting 13 home runs to go along with the nearly 40 runs batted in.

Sell knows he may never coach a player of her caliber again.

“I’m going on my 10th season at Tower. She’s by far the best player I’ve ever coached,” he said. “Head and shoulders. You can even tell in warm-ups, she’s a player. She’s a great kid; she’s got a real good work ethic; she’s right around a 3.3 (grade point average) student; she’s very coachable.”

Along with help she has received along the way from Sell and Donny Draher, her travel team coach, Weeks credits her family with some of the intangibles that have led to the success she has enjoyed. Her brothers and her parents have also excelled on athletic fields, and growing up in a household full of athletes couldn’t help but to propel Weeks into making sure she holds her own in the family.

“They definitely pushed me and were always on me to do my best,” she said. “They would always be there when I needed help.”

Weeks spent five years playing with the Warren Jets, which is part of a local youth football league. She was the only female player on the team; she believes that experience increased her level of toughness, and helped her to take a more aggressive approach when competing athletically.

The grit and determination she may have developed on the gridiron could be one of the reasons that despite all of the accolades, Weeks does not want to settle for what she has accomplished up to this point. She will have one final season to don a Titans uniform, and there are still some goals out there that have yet to be reached.

“All-State, definitely,” Weeks said. “For me, All-State. For the team, hopefully, we can make it out of districts this year. “

Weeks has gone a long way toward helping to solidify the Warren Woods Tower program during her three short years at the school. While Sell is happy to have the opportunity to coach her for her final season, he knows there is going to be a big hole to fill once she departs for Saginaw Valley.

“When I lose her, it’s going to impact me big time on the playing field,” he said. “She’s been everything to my softball program. She’s going to be really, really missed after the season. There’s not enough good things I could say about this young lady. She’s a good kid. She comes from a great family.”

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Mark Vest at mvest@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1112.