Abbey Cheek
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
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| name = Abbey Cheek
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|3|18}}
| birth_place = Inman, South Carolina
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| team = USSSA Pride
| position = Third baseman
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| teams =
- Kentucky Wildcats (2016–2019)
- Chicago Bandits (2019–2020)
- USSSA Pride (2022-Present)
| awards =
- NFCA Player of the Year (2019)
- SEC Player of the Year (2019)
- NCAA 1st Team All-American (2019)
- NPF Rookie of the Year (2019)
- All-NPF Team (2019)
}}
Abbey Cheek (born March 18, 1997) is an American softball player for the USSSA Florida Pride of the Women's Professional Fastpitch League (WPF) and an Assistant softball coach at Bethune-Cookman University.
Early life
Cheek attended Chapman High School in Inman, South Carolina.{{cite news|url=https://www.goupstate.com/sports/20190507/chapman-alum-abbey-cheek-wins-sec-softball-honor|title=Chapman alum Abbey Cheek wins SEC softball honor|date=May 7, 2019|agency=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|author=Boynton, Eric|accessdate=May 23, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523134003/https://www.goupstate.com/sports/20190507/chapman-alum-abbey-cheek-wins-sec-softball-honor|url-status=live|archivedate=May 23, 2019}}
Playing career
=College=
Cheek attended the University of Kentucky where she played for the Kentucky Wildcats softball team.{{cite news|url=https://www.kysportsstyle.com/post/uk-s-abbey-cheek-named-sec-player-of-the-year|title=UK's Abbey Cheek Named SEC Player of the Year|date=May 7, 2019|agency=kysportsstyle.com|accessdate=May 23, 2019}} She is Kentucky softball's career leader in home runs.{{cite news|url=https://www.wkyt.com/content/sports/UKs-Abbey-Cheek-named-Athlete-of-the-Week-508179131.html|title=UK's Abbey Cheek named Athlete of the Week|date=April 5, 2019|agency=WKYT|author=Walker, Alex|accessdate=May 23, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523043342/https://www.wkyt.com/content/sports/UKs-Abbey-Cheek-named-Athlete-of-the-Week-508179131.html|archivedate=May 23, 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/other-uk-sports/article230119444.html|title=Kentucky has SEC Softball Player of the Year for first time in program history|date=May 7, 2019|agency=Lexington Herald-Leader|accessdate=May 23, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523132508/https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/other-uk-sports/article230119444.html|url-status=live|archivedate=May 23, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/other-uk-sports/article230468404.html|title='A whole 'nother level.' Power player at heart of Kentucky softball's run to NCAAs|date=May 16, 2019|agency=Lexington Herald-Leader|author=Peck, Jared|accessdate=May 23, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523042357/https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/other-uk-sports/article230468404.html|url-status=live|archivedate=May 23, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/article229655774.html|title=A Player of the Year nod and a three-run homer. It was a big day for UK softball star.|date=April 24, 2019|agency=Lexington Herald-Leader|author=Sullivan, Josh|accessdate=May 23, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523042500/https://www.kentucky.com/sports/article229655774.html|url-status=live|archivedate=May 23, 2019}} Cheek led the Wildcats to four consecutive NCAA Division I softball tournament appearances from 2016 to 2019, including three appearances in the Super Regionals from 2017 to 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/other-uk-sports/article225924605.html|title=Talent, experience and one of nation's best players has Kentucky thinking softball world series|date=February 7, 2019|agency=Lexington Herald-Leader|author=Peck, Jared|accessdate=May 23, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523132232/https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/other-uk-sports/article225924605.html|url-status=live|archivedate=May 23, 2019}} During her senior season, she ranked second nationally with 64 walks and was third with a .602 on-base percentage and .908 slugging percentage. As the Wildcats’ first-ever SEC Player of the Year, Cheek hit .428 with 13 doubles, 20 long balls, 53 RBI, 54 runs scored and posted an OPS of 1.536. Following the season she was named NFCA National Player of the Year.{{cite news|url=https://nfca.org/divnews/ncaa1/schutt-sports-nfca-d1-poty-2019 |title=Kentucky's Cheek garners 2019 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Player of the Year honors |website=nfca.org |date=June 6, 2019 |access-date=May 8, 2021}}
=Professional=
Cheek was drafted by the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch in the third round of the 2019 NPF Draft.{{cite news|url=https://www.wtvq.com/2019/04/16/abbey-cheek-katie-reed-taken-bandits-2019-npf-draft/|title=Abbey Cheek and Katie Reed taken by Bandits in 2019 NPF draft|date=April 16, 2019|agency=WTVQ|author=Kennedy, Bryan|accessdate=May 23, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416163852/https://www.wtvq.com/2019/04/16/abbey-cheek-katie-reed-taken-bandits-2019-npf-draft/|url-status=live|archivedate=April 16, 2019}} During the 2019 season, Cheek was named the NPF Rookie of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://profastpitch.com/npf-awards-banquet-kicks-off-2019-championship-series/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817111112/https://profastpitch.com/npf-awards-banquet-kicks-off-2019-championship-series/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=August 17, 2019 |title=NPF Awards Banquet Kicks Off 2019 Championship Series |website=profastpitch.com |date=August 14, 2019| accessdate=August 14, 2019}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Twitter|AbbeyCheek}}
- [https://ukathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6989 Kentucky bio]
{{NFCA National Player of the Year}}
{{Southeastern Conference Softball Player of the Year navbox|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheek, Abbey}}
Category:Softball players from South Carolina
Category:Kentucky Wildcats softball players
Category:People from Inman, South Carolina
Category:Chicago Bandits players
Category:21st-century American women
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