BYESVILLE, Ohio – After earning a dozen letters during her outstanding high school athletic career, Candace Neff has put her name on another letter.
Neff, a multi-sport standout at Meadowbrook (Ohio) High School, signed an NCAA Division II letter of intent to play her college softball for veteran head coach Herb Minch at West Liberty University.
A four-year starter for the Colts’ perennial Eastern Ohio softball powerhouse, Neff helped her Meadowbrook team to a 79-30 record during a stellar varsity career.
As a senior shortstop for head coach Bridget George, Neff hit .368 with an impressive .466 on-base percentage. Nearly half of her 32 hits went for extra bases as she finished the season with 9 doubles, 5 triples and a home run while flashing some solid leather up the middle with a .949 fielding percentage.
“We like the athleticism Candace has demonstrated throughout her high school career,” Minch told the Daily Jeffersonian’s Jeff Harrison. “We think she has the ability to help us at several positions at this level so we’re going to take a look at her in the middle infield and the outfield when she arrives.”
Neff averaged more than a hit per game throughout her four varsity seasons, compiling a career batting average of .321 (115-of-355) with 25 doubles, 9 triples, 3 home runs and 47 RBIs.
She is no stranger to tournament competition. The newest Hilltopper played in three OVAC championship games during her career, helping the Colts to an OVAC title as a freshman. Neff also played a key role in Meadowbrook’s drive to the Ohio Division II “Final Four” during her junior season as the Colts rolled to sectional, district and regional titles.
A first-team All-OVAC, All-East Central Ohio League and Ohio Division II All-Eastern District selection as a senior, Neff was chosen to play in both the OVAC and ECOL All-Star Games following her senior season.
She also excelled on the basketball and volleyball courts from her freshman year on, earning multiple All-Conference honors in both sports.
In the classroom, Neff was a National Honor Society member who ranked third in her graduating class at Meadowbrook. Her 3.71 GPA earned her one of just 54 scholarships presented by the Ohio High School Athletic Association to graduating student-athletes.
“The best thing about Candace may be the academic abilities and the work ethic and results she has demonstrated in that arena,” Minch said. “Having that type of student-athlete always makes it more enjoyable from a coach’s perspective.”
The daughter of Tammy and Brian Neff of Cumberland, Ohio, Candace plans to pursue a Speech Pathology major at West Liberty
