By Sue Moore
Lydia Goble, a Schoolcraft High School star softball player, will join five other highly recruited young women to play softball at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), a Division II team. She has been granted an athletic scholarship to play for the Lakers as a middle infielder who can hit for distance.
GVSU’s coach Dana Callihan posted the following comment about Goble on the school’s web site: “Middle infielder Lydia Goble has helped the Schoolcraft Eagles to back-to-back district titles with a chance for a third straight this senior season. A three-year starter, Goble hit over .500 in each of her first two seasons with a .487 average her junior year. She broke her high school home run record with 13 in her sophomore season. A four-year letter winner in both softball and basketball, Goble also played volleyball her freshman season. Planning to major in exercise science at GVSU, Goble is a three-year member of the National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Jim and Lisa Goble and has one brother, Josiah (who attends KVCC). Lydia is a middle infielder that I have rarely seen with a clean uniform. She is an aggressive player with pure athleticism and a natural instinct on the field.”
“I like to hit for distance,” Goble claimed as she recently signed a letter of intent to play the sport at GVSU although she had verbally committed as far back as 2016. “Their indoor facilities are super nice and the girls very helpful during my several visits to decide to go there,” Goble said. “I loved the campus.”
“My dad Jim, has been my coach for eight years, even building me a batting cage in the back yard.” Goble said. “He played soccer in high school but when I was more interested in softball, he studied all he could about the game and became my batting coach.”
Her mom, Lisa Goble, said she is excited because the family will be able to go to Lydia’s games in college just as they have in high school and in travel softball.
She has also played basketball for the Eagles all four years, being honored this month as the high school’s Player of the Month in the South County News. The team was 7-0 before the winter break with Goble averaging 19 points a game. She has been dual-enrolled at Schoolcraft and KVCC and carries a 3.7 GPA.