A WALK TO REMEMBER

FOR EIGHT STRAIGHT trips to the plate, Taylor Hoagland would watch a few pitches go by and then take her free trip to first. The eight consecutive intentional walks to start the series against Kansas tied Hoagland for the second most in NCAA history, two behind Southern Miss’ Megan Hill. But Kansas should have walked her one more time.

As she approached the plate for the ninth time, Kansas ….

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had nowhere to put Hoagland. The bases were full. Tied game. Hoagland knew that for the first time in the series, she’d get to hit the ball. And she took advantage of the opportunity, driving a fastball straight out of the park for a tie-breaking grand slam. “They had to pitch to me,” Hoagland said. “So I was waiting for that pitch, that one strike, and I got it.” So Kansas did the only possible thing left: walk her until they left town.

Five more plate appearances, five more walks. Kansas isn’t the only team walking her this year, though. Hoagland is on record pace for the number of walks she has drawn. The Big 12 all-time season walk record is 56. Hoagland has 16 currently scheduled games left to break this record and currently has 50 walks on the season. Pair her 1.39 walks a game with her .470 batting average, and you get a .669 on-base percentage — which leads the nation. If the pace holds up, Hoagland will capture another Big 12 record. 

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