Trading Dreams: Profile of ASU’s Kindra Hackbarth
Despite a strong season from beginning to end, including an undefeated run through regionals and super-regionals, the Arizona State Sun Devils came into the WCWS as the lowest seed and a big underdog. Kindra Hackbarth plays right field for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and she had an excellent sophomore season, hitting .364 with five home runs, a performance good enough to earn her second-team Pac-12 honors. But Hackbarth is unknown nationally, particularly in comparison to the stars that have shone at the WCWS in recent years from Oklahoma, Florida, UCLA, or Oregon. Hackbarth is relatively unknown even for this Sun Devil team. G Juarez, deservedly, gets enormous attention for her All-American performances in the circle this year; freshman sluggers Denae Chatman and Danielle Gibson provide power; Jade Gortarez is the Texas transfer at shortstop who also plays on the USA women’s baseball team; Marisa Stankkiewicz’ father, Andy, played seven years of professional baseball. So what’s Hackbarth’s story?
When she was young, playing in travel ball, Kindra was a pitcher as well as an outfielder, and though she showed more promise as an everyday outfielder and hitter, she didn’t give up the dream of being in the circle. She can even claim something that few players making their way to the WCWS can say for the first time: she’s been here before, and she threw in the circle. It’s true that she was playing on a U-12 team, the California Grapettes, so this visit is different and not only because she’s out in right field. The stakes are a bit, shall we say, higher?
“It’s just surreal to be in OKC at the Women’s College World Series,” Hackbarth said. “All the years I’ve watched on television… Words can’t describe it. I’m just so lucky to be here.” Hackbarth is lucky for two reasons. One, Arizona State was supposed to be good this year, but World Series good? Not really. And two, Hackbarth began her college career in 2017 at Fresno, hardly played, and lost some of her love for the game. This year at Arizona State she got back her confidence, started on a Pac-12 contender, hit consistently the entire season, and fell back in love with softball. “I get emotional,” Hackbarth said, “just thinking about all the good things that have happened for me in one year.”
Kindra Hackbarth, leading off for Arizona State as the visiting team, got to see the first pitch of the 2018 WCWS, from Oregon’s Miranda Elish. She took it for a called strike on the outside edge, but three pitches later she bounced a single in the 3-4 hole. Welcome to the WCWS, Kindra Hackbarth.
Mark Allister teaches literature and writing at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He is writing a book, Turn and Look: Women’s College Softball Is Crushing It.