CHILLICOTHE — Byrkleigh Kraft finds herself on the brink of history.
The Deer Creek-Mackinaw senior heads into a Class 1A softball regional semifinal on Wednesday, May 20 posting a .694 batting average.
That is good enough for a place among the Illinois High School Association top-12 single-season ranks. Her batting average would also set a new Peoria-area record, surpassing the .676 from Celina VanHyfte in 2013 for Annawan/Wethersfield.
Of course, that number is guaranteed to go up or down depending on how many hits as well as at-bats Kraft gets in that postseason game. But until last week, Kraft’s place among the state’s all-time greats wasn’t even on her radar.
“I don’t focus on my stats,” she told the Journal Star, “because I feel like if I focus on my stats, I’m going to be like, ‘Oh, I have to meet this or do this’, instead of just going out and doing what I know how to do and playing.”
So, Kraft probably doesn’t know that she’s only struck out twice in 102 plate appearances this season. Or that she has hits in 23 of 26 games this year.
Those are just footnotes as she hopes to squeeze every opportunity out of her final prep playing days.
“It’s my last season with all my best friends, and I’ll never play with them again, so I’m just out there to have fun,” Kraft said.
But don’t be fooled. Kraft is a master of her craft with a tireless work ethic and knack for perfection.
Just ask her dad.
“There was a lot of time put in,” Eric Kraft said. “To get to the point where she’s at, it’s just work, work, work. … A lot of it was done at home. It’s just been a work in progress for many years.”
A steel building is in the backyard of the Kraft compound, housing a batting cage that allows Byrkleigh to hit whenever she wants. It’s become a bonding experience between the father and daughter.
Eric will post up on a bucket as Byrkleigh hits off a tee or he’ll pitch to her, ranging from a ‘sling’ or just soft tossing it.
“He’s always the one who pushes me and tries to make me better,” Byrkleigh said. “If I’m ever struggling and need help, he’ll go out there and help me.”
Each session consists of about 250 balls, Eric estimates, while his oldest goes through ‘three or four’ bats a year.
“I tell all my kids, ‘You got to be able to put the work in,’ ” Eric said, “whether it’s shooting a free throw, whether it’s swinging a bat, whatever it is.”
And Byrkleigh has taken ownership of her success. Upon entering high school, it was the Journal Star all-area infielder that sought extra guidance and practice from her father, not him forcing her.
She batted .621 as a junior and was named to the Class 2A Illinois Coaches Association all-state second-team.
“I’m trying to shoot gaps,” Byrkleigh said. “I don’t go up to the plate thinking, ‘I need to hit a home run.’ I’m just thinking of like how I need to execute.”
“I think the biggest thing is she doesn’t get cheated,” Dee-Mack coach Blake Uhlman added. “She only swings at strikes. … She’s just so picky. You can see when you’re picky, you can have a very good batting average and that helps us out a lot.”
Uhlman says he began to poke around the IHSA records in April. Byrkleigh spent much of the month batting in the high .700s, including reaching .782 after a three-hit game against Tremont. He became increasingly aware of what this meant when he discovered there’s been nine hitters in Illinois high school softball to post a .700 or better single-season batting average.
“I’ve noticed it,” Uhlman said, “kind of crunched some numbers to kind of see like if the season were to end today where she would fall.”
A hitless game (0-for-3) in a 7-4 loss against Illinois Valley Central on May 13 sunk her below .700 for the first time this season.
“I guess she is kind of human,” Uhlman said with a laugh. “When you’re so used to her getting multiple hits a game, you also have to remember they’re high school kids. They’re not perfect hitters.”
As for college, Byrkleigh is heading to Illinois Wesleyan to join the Division-III program fresh off a third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. Other schools showed interest, but she opted for a school that was willing to let her balance softball and a nursing major.
Plus, Byrkleigh will be close to home.
“I can’t be far away from my parents,” she said.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Deer Creek-Mackinaw senior is having one of the best seasons in IHSA softball history
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
