Senior Kira Baker is in the thick of her final competitive season playing softball. The game has always been a constant– a place of growth, joy, and challenge that began for her in childhood. The Eudora, Kan., native has spent 17 years on the field, beginning when her parents signed her up for recreational softball. Her path to competitive play, however, was anything but smooth. At 8 years old, Baker struggled to find a team willing to take a chance on her.
“No team would take me until I met Coach Gary,” she said. “He gave me a chance because he knew I didn’t have any other options.”
That opportunity changed everything. Under his guidance, Baker developed not only her skills but also a deep love for the game. By the time she reached college, Baker had grown into a starting pitcher, a role that brought both pressure and growth. Looking back, she says that she wasn’t fully prepared for the intensity of collegiate competition as a freshman.
“I’ve definitely become more mentally tough over the years,” she said. “As a starting pitcher, you’re under a lot of pressure, and I wasn’t ready for some of those high-stakes moments early on.”
One of those moments, however, became a defining highlight. Baker recalls her freshman year, when her team won the opening-round championship to advance to the World Series.
“Everyone was all in,” she said. “It didn’t matter that we were underdogs or that it was the hottest it had been all year. We felt powerful.”
Individually, one of Baker’s proudest achievements came when she threw her first perfect game, a milestone she had long worked toward.
“I had never been able to pull it off before,” she said. “Finally reaching that moment was amazing.”
Despite the demands of balancing the sport and school, Baker said the experience has been invaluable. Softball provided an escape and a sense of purpose, while shaping her into the person she is today. Now, as her collegiate career comes to an end, Baker views the moment as both a conclusion and a milestone.
“It feels like the end of a journey I started a long time ago,” she said. “I feel like I’ve made my younger self proud.”
After graduation, Kira plans to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science at Emporia State University to become a librarian. She also hopes to one day return to softball as a high school coach. The lessons she takes from the sport, she said, will carry into every aspect of her future.
“Softball has taught me perseverance and how to push through challenges,” she said. “It’s taught me to adapt and to keep going even when things are hard. It’s been a journey of unexpected places that took me farther than I ever dreamed.”
