Former Cougar Gillian Hale earns multiple conference honors

Former Taft College softball standout pitcher Gillian Hale recently completed an impressive first season at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Following the close of the 2022 season, Hale earned first-team All-American Midwest Conference honors, was selected to the Champions of Character Team, and was named an Academic All-Conference selection.

The South Africa native and Taft College alum finished the year leading her squad in hitting (.432 BA), slugging (.662), OPS (1.143), hits (32), doubles (10), home runs (1), and RBI (23).

Hale was also Stephens' top pitcher, starting 14 of 15 appearances while throwing 74 innings. She tossed 7 complete games and struck out 34 batters.

The pitcher/utility standout competed during both COVID seasons at Taft. Before the 2020 season was halted, she put up a .383 batting average and .553 slugging percentage in the Cougars' 18 games.

Hale graduated in two years for Taft and brought in multiple academic achievements. She was a 2021 Academic All-State and 2021 NFCA Academic Scholar selection while earning 4.0 grade point average her final semester at TC.  Hale received an athletic and academic scholarship to attend Stephens College where she competed as a COVID freshman.