Grace White, who oversees Line Drive’s Social Media efforts, is a former college softball player at Union University, a Div. II program in Jackson, Tenn. She recently graduated from Union with her master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in Marketing after previously getting her bachelor’s degree in journalism there. Grace also gives softball lessons to local kids in her area and closely follows her younger sister, Esther White, who is a freshman on the University of Georgia softball team.

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Last week, I got to have my first experience at the SEC Softball Tournament.

It was held in Athens, Ga., this season, and since Esther is a freshman for the Bulldogs, of course I had to make the trip down to watch their games in the tournament!

I had been to Jack Turner Softball Stadium twice already this year for a couple of Georgia’s home SEC series, and that was a blast, but getting to be there for part of the first two days of the conference tournament was a unique opportunity that I’m thankful to have had.

Besides the brand-new building out in left field, the concourse area, and the scoreboard, Jack Turner was pretty much solely decked out in SEC banners and signs.

Each dugout top had all of the logos for the schools represented in the tournament, and in centerfield, there was a huge SEC emblem with the grass cut in ever-expanding circles around it. It was quite a sight, and I’m sure it took a lot of effort from a bunch of people to get everything ready.

I think what impressed me the most about the whole experience was how important the event is to the softball world as a whole. College softball legends were in attendance as commentators and spectators, and 15 of the country’s best softball teams were in one location as each sought to win the trophy. 

It’s crazy to see in-person the coaches, players, and reporters that you watch on TV. I saw Michele Smith and Holly Rowe walk by in the concourse, and I saw stars like Georgia’s Dallis Goodnight and Arkansas All-American Bri Ellis come to the plate.

I was in attendance for Ellis’s walk-off grand slam against Georgia in Day 2 of the tournament (Wednesday, May 7, 2025). The game was hard fought between the two teams as Georgia led most of the way before losing in a 5-1 Razorbacks victory.

My little sister Abigail, my cousin Natalie, and I even got shown on TV when Ellis walked it off!

I’m the one in the white hat on my phone at the 24-second mark!

But for my family, that game was going to be special whether the Bulldogs won or lost. It marked the first time that Esther got to play against her longtime travel ball teammate Ramsey Walker, who is a freshman for Arkansas.

The two have been close friends over the years, so to see them reunite on one of the biggest stages in softball made me very happy. We will always consider the Walkers to be family, and it’s so much fun to get to watch both Esther and Ramsey living out their dreams.

I think this is a great example of how tight-knit and interconnected the softball community is.

Out of the 15 teams that competed in the SEC Tournament, I would dare say there are numerous girls who played with or against each other in travel ball or high school ball before ever going to college.

It’s crazy to think that the girls we watched playing 10U tournaments in 2017 are now freshmen in college and are building on the bonds that they formed with other players years ago, whether they’re former teammates or competitors.

I’m thankful that I got to experience all of these things and more at the SEC Tournament this season, and I can’t wait for the years to come as the sport continues to grow and to provide us with heartwarming, thrilling moments.

— Grace White