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| Brittany McKinney |
West Forsyth senior Brittany McKinney found it to be the answer to her childhood dreams.
A standout catcher since her Little League softball days, McKinney recently accepted a scholarship offer from her favorite school — the University of North Carolina. Suiting up in Tarheel blue is something she has dreamed of for years.
“I’m very excited because Carolina has been my number one choice forever,” she explained. “They have a great program and a great tradition. I’ve played with several girls who play there now and they love it.”
That sense of joy is undoubtedly shared by the Tarheel coaching staff. Landing one of the top catchers in the country will strengthen a team that finished second in Atlantic Coast Conference standings last season. McKinney was actively recruited by a host of schools, including UNC-Charlotte, Troy, the University of Central Florida and Western Carolina. She is a three-time Central Piedmont all-conference player and was last year’s CPC Player of the Year. Also a standout in volleyball, she was the Titan Female Athlete of the Year in 2005-06.
McKinney was a key player during West’s runner-up finish in the state playoffs in 2005. Along with former Titan teammate Mendy McKenzie (now a star pitcher at WCU), she was also a starter on the Carolina Cardinals team that won the ASA/USA national championship last August. In the tournament title game, McKinney provided the game-deciding home run.
As a junior at West, McKinney batted .451 and led the team in on-base percentage (.578), slugging percentage (.859), home runs (five) and runs batted in (30). In 90 at bats, she fanned only twice. Defensively, she threw out 13 base stealers and picked off several more.
“Even as a freshman, we knew Brittany was a special talent,” mentioned Titan coach Kevin Baity. “And she has always been a joy to coach. She works and studies hard. Without question, she will have a big impact on the UNC program.”