‘The cherry on top’

It was something New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva pitcher Sophie Stork never saw coming.
But after pitching every inning of every game and leading the Panthers to a 22-4 record, the best in school history, she was one of just 14 Class AA softball players named first-team All-State by the Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches’ Association.
“It is honestly humbling to be a part of such an honored group. There are a lot of great pitchers let alone other positions in our section and Class AA,” she said.
NRHEG Head Softball Coach Wendy Schultz agreed.
“There’s a lot of very good athletes in softball. A lot of girls play year-round and other coaches in AA vote on it so it’s props to her that all her hard work has paid off,” she said.
She added that Stork is NRHEG’s first all-stater in the past 20 years.
While those accolades are nice, Stork wasn’t concerned about achieving any individual honors when she took the mound for the Panthers.
“I was more focused on how our team could succeed, being on the all-state team was the cherry on top of this season,” she said.
When asked how she’s become such a decorated pitcher, she noted that her pitching style has matured, and she knows when to throw the different pitches in her arsenal.
“With more practice, I’m more consistent and more confident in throwing different types of pitches and I’ve added more strength which helps with speed,” she said.
Schultz explained that Stork’s extra strength also helped her become one of NRHEG’s best batters.
“She was one of our big hitters on the team and very consistent. She and Cloie [Arndt] led us in pretty much every offensive category,” she said.
Stork has become such a skilled hitter and pitcher, she said, due to her being a perfectionist.
“That’s what great about Sophie, she’s very self-motivated. She’s willing to put in the time to be a great pitcher,” she said.
In addition to her own motivation, Stork noted that her teammates’ and coaches’ support also motivates her to become a pitcher and hitter.
“Since they support me, it makes me want to become a better pitcher for them,” she said.
Not only do her teammates support off the field and via verbal encouragement when she’s pitching, they also support her by providing defense when opposing hitters do get a hit off her.
“I have a great defense that backs me up. I trust them with all my heart, and I definitely couldn’t do it without them,” Stork said.
Schultz has also noticed how appreciative her pitcher is of her defense.
“She’ll be the first person to tell you that softball is a team sport and everyone else on the team helps her be successful as well,” she said.
Specifically, Stork credited Coach Schultz and her husband John who taught her pitching tips and skills during grade school and her dad and catchers who have caught for her over the years for helping her earn the honor of being named a first-team All-State pitcher.
Overall, Schultz mentioned that Stork’s pitching prowess has a huge impact on the Panthers’ success this past spring.
“Yes, it’s a team sport and everyone is important but if you don’t have a pitcher, it doesn’t matter as much. If you take her off our team, it would make things a little trickier. There are years where you have pitchers who aren’t as strong as her it puts more pressure on defense because the batters are able to hit it a little bit easier. With Sophie, the batters might get hits but it’s weaker contact and easier on the defense. She’s pretty good at keeping batters on their toes and not get too comfortable in the batter’s box,” she said.
Now that she’s become one of the best players in Class AA and earned one of the top individual honors, her next goal is more team oriented.
“My biggest goal is giving my team the best opportunity to get to the state tournament,” she said. “I believe that we definitely have a shot at it next spring. We work hard every single day, have fun, our team chemistry is unbelievable and I truly believe that hard work pays off so if we put in the work, good things will happen.”