Formerly a University of Tennessee softball verbal commit, Amber Linton spent more than two years imagining herself immersed in all things Rocky Top.
Until she didn’t.
Once thought to be a fixture in future Volunteers pitching rotations, the Franklin resident and Roncalli graduate finds herself excelling on and off the diamond as a freshman at Indiana.
It’s not the kind of change-up to which Linton is accustomed, though the bombshell dropped on her in the fall of 2019 left her little choice.
“The coaches at Tennessee called my dad and basically said they gave my scholarship to a transfer, but that if I wanted to be a walk-on, I could,” said Linton, who had verbally committed to UT the summer before her sophomore year of high school.
“It was honestly devastating. I felt like Tennessee was my dream school. I had planned on what I was going to major in and who I was going to room with.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Linton wasn’t able to experience a senior season at Roncalli. Prior to that, she had been named All-Marion County three straight years and was All-State as a junior.
Even without a final season, she’s sixth in career wins at Roncalli with 33, fourth in strikeouts (296) and seventh in innings pitched (289 2/3).
Linton’s pitching talents, combined with her academic excellence (4.2 grade-point average at RHS), made her a sought-after player. What Tennessee did seemed — and continues to seem — unfair, but Linton was fortunate enough to have choices.
Enter Shonda Stanton, IU’s softball coach since 2018. Stanton, who had recruited three of Linton’s travel ball teammates — catcher Grace Lorsung and pitchers Macy Montgomery and Brooke Benson — was familiar with Linton’s ability and potential.
“Once we knew she was available, we knew we wanted her,” Stanton said. “What we’ve been pleased with is that Amber has the drive to go out and succeed every day.
“We know she’s only scratched the surface and feel confident with her in any role. As she continues to grow in the weight room, I think she could be a real special talent for the Hoosiers. It will be fun to watch her growth.”
IU held an 11-13 record going into Friday’s home game against Ohio State, the first of four matchups against the Buckeyes this weekend.
Linton, who has started, been a middle reliever and come in to close games, is second on the team in innings pitched and is 4-1 with an earned run average of 3.26.
The 6-foot Linton, who is part of her school’s prestigious Kelley School of Business, believes things happen for a reason — including ending up in Bloomington rather than Knoxville.
“Looking at it in hindsight, I’m actually grateful I ended up here,” Linton said. “It’s nice having coaches who believe I can make an impact and get us places even as a freshman. Coach Stanton actually reached out to me pretty quickly and wanted me to visit. It’s a real good fit.”
