Hall of Fame
Kelley Tiesi Key is undeniably one of the greatest softball players in the history of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and one of the greatest pitchers in NCAA Division II history. Key is the only player in school history to earn four National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America honors, and she was named the 2004 NCAA Division II National Player of the Year and selected as a finalist for the 2004 Honda Award following her sophomore season.
Key became the sixth player in NCAA Division II softball history to record 1,000 or more strikeouts in a career and currently ranks 23rd all-time with 1,095 career strikeouts. In 2004, she also set an NCAA Division II record with 83.2 consecutive scoreless innings from March 6 to April 10 of that season.
Overall, Key was part of a dynastic SU run that posted a 169-45 record that included four trips to the PSAC Tournament, four trips to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament, and two trips to the NCAA National Tournament. Key played an important role as the primary starting pitcher for three consecutive PSAC Championship titles from 2003-05 and back-to-back NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Championships. SU finished fifth at the 2003 NCAA Division II National Championships and third at the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championships.
Key is one of just three athletes in school history to be named a finalist for the Honda Award, honoring the top female athlete in Division II. She was a four-time All-PSAC Eastern Division First Team player who earned several major awards from the league, including the 2006 PSAC Eastern Division Pitcher of the Year, the 2004 PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Year and the 2003 PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Year.
She holds virtually all of Shippensburg’s career pitching records, including a 0.62 ERA, 99 wins and 1,095 strikeouts. Among all-time PSAC records, Key is prominent in seven categories, ranking second in league history in saves (11), second in strikeouts, third in shutouts (51), fifth in wins, fifth in complete games (91), sixth in ERA and seventh in winning percentage (.839).
In her final season, Key earned her fourth and final All-America honor after posting a 25-10 record with a career-high 32 complete games and 15 shutouts. She threw a career-high 242.1 innings and had a 0.69 ERA. Her 369 strikeouts broke her own single-season school record and the mark stands to this day. Key struck out at least five batters in all 32 of her starts, including 21 starts with 10 or more strikeouts, and a season-high 15 strikeouts on three occasions. She allowed one earned run or fewer in 32 of her 38 appearances and was part of a team that reached the PSAC Championship game and competed in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Semifinals. In four NCAA Tournament games, Tiesi pitched 28.2 innings and allowed just three earned runs and struck out 35 batters.
As a junior, Key was named an NFCA Second Team All-American and became the first three-time All-American and three-time All-PSAC First Team player in SU history. She ranked fourth in the nation with a 0.60 ERA while leading the PSAC and ranking 10th in the nation with an average of 9.0 strikeouts per seven innings. She struck out 180 batters while posting a 23-1 record, which is the second-best single season total in school history. She tossed 14 complete games and nine shutouts. Key pitched a team-high 139.1 innings and allowed just 12 earned runs while walking only 11 batters all season.
Key’s sophomore year was one of her best, as it resulted in the NCAA Division II Player of the Year award as an NFCA First Team All-American. It also made her a finalist for the 2004 Honda Cup Award. Key posted a 0.35 ERA, which was the second-best ERA in the nation. She turned in a 30-3 record with five saves and 17 shutouts, averaging 11.06 strikeouts per seven innings (third nationally) and struck out 345 total. Key had not allowed an earned run all season until April 9, and only gave up 11 earned runs in 218.1 innings. She also set Shippensburg single-season records for wins, strikeouts, ERA, strikeouts per seven innings and fewest hits allowed per seven innings. She broke the Shippensburg career record for strikeouts as a sophomore when she recorded her 546th career strikeout. During the PSAC Tournament, Key shut down California (Pa.), the top hitting team in the conference, striking out 28 Vulcans in two games. Key was named PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Year, ECAC Pitcher of the Year, PSAC Tournament MVP, and Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament MVP.
As a freshman, Key emerged as the No. 1 starting pitcher for the Raiders. She was named an NFCA Third Team All-American and was awarded PSAC East Rookie of the Year. Key posted a 0.87 ERA and went 21-5, striking out 201 batters. She broke the single-season strikeout record as a freshman as the first Shippensburg player to record 200 strikeouts in a season. She also set the school record with 16 strikeouts in a game against Millersville. Key was named First-Team All-PSAC, First-Team NFCA All-Region, PSAC Tournament MVP and Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament MVP.
After finishing her career at Shippensburg, Key signed to play professionally in Italy with Fabi Macerata, one of 10 teams in an Italian league located outside of Milan that won the European Cup. Key then became the assistant coach at Bucknell for two seasons where she worked with the Bison’s pitching staff and was responsible for the team’s strong recruiting program. She later completed her degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.
Key has worked for the last 15 years as a branch manager for Wells Fargo. She and her husband, Shawn, are proud parents of three kids: Jaxon (9), Calvin (5) and Kamille (2). Key is the communications director for Dover United Soccer club and volunteers with youth soccer and youth basketball teams. She has previously volunteered with Hope for Cope to raise money for families with kids that have been diagnosed with cancer. Key also assists with budgeting for All Because of Christ Ministries, where her husband is a minister.
