Follow the leader.
Her role for Yorkville has changed, but the approach definitely hasn’t for Kayla Kersting.
It’s no doubt why coach Jory Regnier is confident the sophomore catcher will be able to step up and provide valuable leadership for a team that lost a large group of seniors to graduation.
“She’s a kid who just competes at everything she does,” Regnier said of Kersting. “It’s like, ‘Do you want to run to the field for practice? How about we race?’ She’s a competitor at heart.
“There are no half reps, no partial reps. Everything is a 110%. Every swing she takes, you feel sorry for the ball. She’s that kid.”
Kersting is, indeed. And she looked the part Wednesday during a 9-5 loss to Lincoln-Way East in chilly conditions in a game called after six innings with darkness settling in.
Taking advantage of the shorter 190-foot fence in left-center, Kersting hit her first home run of the season for Yorkville (2-2). The Foxes are playing home games on the JV field. Work continues on a new facility, featuring a field turf surface, they hope to open in early April.
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Last season, Kersting set the bar high, backstopping the Foxes on their drive to a state runner-up finish in Class 4A. She handled senior pitching standout Madi Reeves with aplomb.
As a freshman phenom, Kersting hit .456 with six home runs and 37 RBIs. She finished with a .537 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage.
Kersting understands her experience means she has to be more of a vocal leader as well as lead by example.
“I’ve been in kind of a slump, going 0-for-7 lately, and I haven’t been able to help my team out,” she said. “Even when I walk, my first instinct is to steal a base to help my team.
“I’ve been talking it out, working it out and (Wednesday), the 190-foot fence helped a little bit.”
Kersting added an infield single, drew a walk, stole a base and threw out a would-be base stealer.
She also helped settle down sophomore starter Ellie Fox (1-1), who struggled early but then delivered three strong innings before Lincoln-Way East (4-1) expanded its 3-2 lead.
“It was pretty cold — my hand was stinging,” Fox said. “I’ve been throwing to Kayla since I was 9. She’s one of my best friends, so it’s fun.”
Regnier, who’s still trying to determine exact roles, also has senior Sarah Carlson and junior Peyton Levine on the pitching staff.
“We’re both pretty young,” Kersting said of Fox. “I have to be there for her and always have her back. Even when we’re 0-2, I’ll tell her to not make the next pitch too good, hit the corners and the rivers, that area between the edge of the plate and the batter’s box chalk line.
“We might have lost by four but we battled the whole game. We won’t measure success by wins or losses alone. We have to build trust, connect with each other and have that team chemistry.”
Just a few games into the season, Regnier said the Foxes are still learning how to function.
“Right now, we’re moving kids all over the place, still trying to figure out what our best lineup is,” she said. “It’s going to take a little time.”
Above all, having fun will be key, according to Kersting.
“As coach likes to say, ‘If someone were to come up to our game, they wouldn’t know if we’re losing because it’s that loud in our dugout,'” Kersting said.
Unaffected by the cold, she will be the one leading the way.
“It didn’t bother me,” Kersting said of hitting the home run in her last at bat. “I walked up and almost took my sleeves off. We don’t get cold.
“Monday our game was postponed, and we practiced outside for two hours. It doesn’t faze us. We’ll play in the snow, rain, hail, anything.”