BY JIM MISUNAS
HOISINGTON – With six all-league players, Hoisington coach Gary Boxberger featured the most talented softball team in school history.
Two-time All-Central Kansas League pitcher Taylor Boxberger and CKL all-league pitcher Kassidy Nixon returned along with All-CKL OF Kadence Urban, All-CKL 1B Gracie Alyward along with 2018 All-CKL selection 2B Jenna Urban.
Great Bend transfer Aleah Urban, an All-Western Athletic Conference CF; and OF Keeley Wolf had starting experience as the Cardinals showcased seven starters with varsity experience. Most of the players compete on the Kansas Heat summer softball team.
The Cardinals would’ve likely earned a top 5 state ranking in 3A. The Cardinals own four state softball trips in school history. The 2015 Class 4A-Division 2 state qualifier was led by pitcher Michelle Keil.
Boxberger said the Cardinals were destined to be a 3A state qualifier with a legitimate chance to win the state tournament.
“It would’ve been the best softball team I’ve coached at Hoisington in nine years,” Boxberger said. “We featured an all-state pitcher in Taylor Boxberger and a honorable mention all-state pitcher in Kassidy Nixon. We had a quality hitting team up-and-down the lineup that would’ve hit the fastball. No pitcher would’ve thrown the ball past us consistently. We had quality depth. We had incoming freshmen who would’ve contributed.”
Boxberger said it was a sad day when he notified the girls their season was canceled by the Kansas State High School Activities Association due to the coronavirus.
“After I sent message that our season was over, I received a lot of sad emoji signs,” Boxberger said. “The girls were really sad. Softball is a sport where you learn life lessons, but we were unable to do that this spring.”
Defending CKL champion Haven, Pratt and Smoky Valley would’ve been league contenders.
“We were going to be good with two quality pitchers,” Boxberger said. “The top of the league is really good.”
Hoisington (14-2, CKL) tied Pratt for second place behind Haven in the Central Kansas League. The Cardinals (17-4) lost to Beloit 6-5 in the 2019 regional softball championship game. The Cardinals stranded the potential game-winning runners on base. The Cardinals downed Russell 10-0 behind Boxberger’s two-hit regional shutout. Kadence Urban, Brooke Steinert and Alyward delivered RBIs in a 9-3 victory over Hays-Thomas More Prep in the regional semifinal.
Boxberger is hopeful some of the league teams can arrange an informal summer schedule in June or July.
“It’d be fun for these girls to see how they would’ve stacked up,” he said.
CARDINAL SOFTBALL
SENIORS—3 Kristen Watson; 5 Aleah Urban; 23 Jenna Urban; 24 Taylor Boxberger
JUNIORS—11 Keeley Wolf; 18 Rylie Bailey; 35 Addison Smith
SOPHOMORES—2 Gracie Aylward; 13 Abigail Scott; 14 Shayla Kempke; 16 Kassidy Nixon; 22 Camille Dolechek; 25 Livvy Brewer; 26 Kadence Urban; 27 Jaslyn Vasquez; 31 Yujin Yang; 40 Emilee Baze
NINTH-GRADERS—19 Kortney Lang; 21 Ava Henry; 28 Emma Willesden; 30 Rayna Bray; 33 Hailee Bonham-Debolt; 39 Brynn Blanc
