Outfielder joins standout Panther pitcher in choosing Cobras
By Randy Arrington
SHENANDOAH, Feb. 15 — On Thursday, a second Page County Panther announced signing with Division II Coker University in South Carolina to play softball for the Cobras in the spring of 2025. For outfielder Arianna Roudabush, the signing was a culmination of hard work and the fulfillment of a dream she has held since youth league inspired by the great Panthers who have gone before.
“I always looked up to the Gordon sisters…especially Maddie [signed with Penn State]…and watching JMU go to the World Series [where Kate Gordon hit a game-winning home run in Oklahoma City]…I knew I might not play at the Division I level, but I knew I wanted to play at the next level,” Roudabush said following her announcement in the PCHS commons.
Nearly 50 family, friends and teammates came to share the moment with the Page County senior, who earned first team All-District, first team All-Region and second team All-State honors last spring. Roudabush hit .385 her junior year with a .479 on-base percentage, while recording 16 RBI, 33 runs and 19 stolen bases. The outfielder also posted a 92 percent fielding percentage.
“We recognize that this isn’t just an athletic accomplishment, but also an academic one. Arianna is not only an excellent softball player, but she also excels in the classroom, having recently been selected to Coker’s Honors Program for the Class of 2028,” stated PCHS Athletic Director Bill Simmons during last week’s signing ceremony. Roudabush plans to study psychology later pursue her masters.
“I want to help people with behavioral issues or mental issues, or even coping with health issues like diabetes,” she said.
The first time that Coker head coach Brittany Bennett got to see Roudabush play, she actually traveled to Clarke County last spring to see Page County’s Bailee Gaskins pitch. Gaskins delivered with the only perfect game of her career.
“I did pretty good too,” Roudabush remembers of her 3-for-3 performance, including a triple. “I had no idea at the time, but the Gaskins talked me up a lot and that got me on Coach Bennett’s radar.”
Roudabush played travel softball for multiple teams and even attended a camp at Coker last summer. She made an unofficial visit on Oct. 6. Coach Bennett then came to a tournament she played in at Myrtle Beach on Nov. 12-13. The Division II coach commented “you’ve gotten better,” and a few days later she made an offer. On Nov. 24, Roudabush made the decision to fulfill her dream and play at the next level under a partial scholarship.
“She seems great…she seems very tough,” the Page County senior said of her new collegiate coach. “She seems like she’s going to be a parental figure, and she reminds me of Coach Knight.”
Alan Knight, who attended last week’s ceremonial signing, was not surprised that his outfielder was getting an opportunity to play college softball.
“She has shown over the years that she works hard and she wants to get better at what she’s doing…whether she does it on the field or in the classroom,”Coach Knight said. “She’s a battler and has a really good understanding of what the strike zone is…And she can put the bat on the ball.”
Roudabush has played five years in the program, four years on varsity, and during that time has been a part of three district champions, two regional champs, and made two state final four appearances. With two college signees already on the 2024 roster, Panther nation has high expectations for a team that should be very talented…but that’s nothing new for Coach Knight.
“There’s always big expectations,” Coach Knight said when asked about the upcoming 2024 season. “We’re just gonna take it one day at a time and work on getting better.”
Roudabush, however, doesn’t hide her excitement about a potentially big year for the Panthers.
“I am so excited…I just got news that the Tazwell pitcher transferred,” Roudabush said in an excited tone. Tazwell County knocked Page out of the state tournament last spring, just one game shy of playing for the Class 2 state championship a second year in-a-row.
“Third times a charm,” she adds. “We really have potential…but we have to work in practice to be quick. Coach Knight said we’re going to be two things this year…in great shape, and we’re going to be hitters.”
Roudabush feels fortunate to realize her dreams. Thoughts that started back when she was playing in the Shenandoah Recreation League and earned a trip to the Babe Ruth World Series in Florida. Ideas that began to take shape as she played for the Firestorm (Shenandoah), Virginia Legends (Charlottesville), the Venom (Staunton) and the Orange County elite travel softball teams. And now, the realization that the “tough love” that her high school coach showed her prompted her to get better and draw the attention of a similar coach at the next level.
“It was a lot of pressure when I decided I wanted to play at the next level…and I definitely have grown to appreciate [the ‘tough love’]…if I had a coach that was not as tough, I wouldn’t have gotten this far…It’s pushed me to get better…and learn that you have to try something new every day,” Roudabush said.
Yet before she travels south to start a new adventure, Roudabush has a piece of unfinished business here at home. And while she can barely contain her excitement for the softball season that starts next month, it sometimes it makes her sad to think about her last season as a Panther.
“It depends on the day, if I’m emotional,” the PCHS senior said. “It’s my last year…I’m going to give it everything I have because this team really does mean a lot to me.”
For more information about Coker University softball,
visit https://www.cokercobras.com/sports/sball/index
•••
RELATED ARTICLES
Gaskins signs with DII Coker for ’25 softball squad
Three Panthers earn All-State honors in Class 2 softball
Panthers survive Poquoson, 3-1, advance to state semifinal against Tazwell
Bulldogs, Panthers well represented on Bull Run’s All-District spring teams
Another walk-off win by Panthers captures Bull Run District championship, 5-4, over Clarke
Page captures Bull Run’s regular season title with come-from-behind, walk-off win over East Rock
Be the first to comment