She took strikeouts with her to shortstop and the bad at-bats disrupted her glove and that was the one thing Kaylee Huecker couldn't let happen.
She was in the lineup for her defense and usually performed superbly. That day, however, at Oklahoma State in 2020, she committed two errors.
That was Wichita State's final game of the COVID-19-shortened season and the start of Kaylee Huecker's determination to become a complete softball player. Coach Kristi Bredbenner pulled her aside during the game to calm her and refocus on defense.
"She thought I was carrying my bad hitting onto the field with me, and it just sparked in my head that I don't know want to be known as someone who can just play defense," Huecker said.