Shaniya Lane Creates Her Own Lane To Excel In Softball

Shaniya Lane could never spend time with her friend in middle school because her friend always had softball practice. Despite having no interest in sports, Lane decided to join the team as well.

“I just really wanted to hang out with her,” Lane said. “Once I started playing, I was like, ‘Oh, this is pretty fun.’ But I never really saw it as I was playing a sport and trying to get good at it. I was really just there to hang out with her.”

A funny thing happened as Lane learned more about softball. The Georgia native realized she was pretty good and wanted to get even better. Her friend eventually stopped playing, but Lane hasn’t left the field.

The 2025 recruit has signed to play for Delaware State, an HBCU program coached by Atlanta native Daniel Stockdale. 

“I’m actually super excited, because of the new experiences,” said Lane, a lefty slapping outfielder. “It’s kind of far from home, but there are other girls in my class that are committed who are from Georgia too. I played on a team with one of them in the fall, so that should make the experience a little more familiar.”

Lane is the oldest of three children. Her parents didn’t know anything about softball before she began playing, and the family would watch YouTube videos together to learn more about it. Once Lane’s dad, Charlie, realized how serious his daughter was, he got her a hitting coach and purchased a pitching machine and tee to use at home.

“I didn’t even understand the game, to be honest,” Charlie Lane said. “When we got into all this softball stuff, it was like a whole new world. Now my 10-year-old daughter is a pitcher and she’s throwing the ball 54 mph. We didn’t even teach her. She just watched Shaniya’s games and has been around her teams.”

Lane’s road was not without bumps. She tried out for her high school team as a freshman and didn’t make the cut. 

“I had to play for an 18U rec program so that I would still be playing and get the reps,” Lane said. “I didn’t just sit for those couple of months. I had to work way harder during the season because I wasn’t constantly playing and practicing every day with the team.”

Lane’s dad reminded her that Michael Jordan was cut from his varsity basketball team as a sophomore in high school and it motivated him throughout his career.

Lane made the team as a sophomore, but didn’t see much playing time. She transferred to Piedmont Academy for her junior year and her team won the state title. This past fall season, Piedmont was the runner-up.

“I’m so proud of her because she started playing softball much later than most girls. She really put in the work to get to where she is today,” Charlie Lane said. “I told her as long as she wants to do it, we’re gonna do the stuff that we need to do to get you there. We are gonna get behind you 100% to help you get to that next level if that’s what you want to do.”

Lane’s mother, Tranell, is in the Army Reserve. She entered the Army National Guard out of high school, and was active duty in the Army for nearly nine years. Charlie is a truck driver who owns his own trucking business. The two have been together since high school and will be celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary in March.

Lane was supposed to be a 2026 recruit but moved up a grade in middle school because she was academically advanced. The recruiting process was new territory for everyone in her family. It went slower than Lane or her parents expected, and Lane worried a bit while seeing her friends make their commitments. 

“Delaware just came out of nowhere. We never did a camp. We never did anything with him,” Charlie Lane said. “But he said he had been following Shaniya on Twitter for about a year. He reached out to her softball coach at school, and then he set up the Zoom call and pretty much told us what the numbers were, money wise.”

During the official visit, Shaniya was impressed by the campus and Charlie spotted a place to park his truck if he drives a load up during the season. 

“We went to their Homecoming in October, and it was really nice to experience that culture,” Lane said. “I wasn’t even looking at a college being an HBCU, but now I think it’s really cool to be playing for one.”

Lane has her own YouTube channel where she posts videos of her life. She enjoys filming and editing, and received a new camera for Christmas. Lane is considering a career in digital broadcasting and plans to explore an internship program offered at Delaware State.  

“It’s been a really fun ride for our family, and Shaniya is the one who led us to softball,” Charlie Lane said. “We are all very excited about what comes next. I know she will continue to put in the work because that is the kind of person she is.”