It has been a year of historic proportions for the McKendree Bearcats softball team. They now have a program-best 50 wins, won their first-ever Midwest Regional pod championship, followed that up by sweeping No. 2-ranked UIndy in the super regionals to earn their first-ever trip to the DII finals and have made even more noise since they arrived in Chattanooga.
It isn't simply that the Bearcats are winning ball games. They have been in some of the most exciting ball games in the entire DII softball championship tournament thus far. McKendree has logged four straight one-run victories, upsetting nationally ranked teams — No. 2 UIndy twice, No. 3 North Georgia and No. 5 Missouri Southern — in each of those dramatic wins. Two have been walk-offs, fueled by consensus All-American shortstop Lauren Harris and All-Region ace Sami Huck.
McKendree's Lauren Harris tees off at the DII softball championship.
Harris, the 2024 national DII player of the year and three-time GLVC player of the year, hit the walk-off home run against UIndy to send the Bearcats to Chattanooga. Once there, Harris scored the game-winning run in extra innings to stun North Georgia in their first-ever DII softball finals matchup. While her numbers have been among DII's best — .475 average, 1.405 OPS, 78 runs scored, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 70 RBIs and 13 stolen bases — it is her and her teammates' ability to perform when it matters most that has been impressive.
"I think it just shows you that one through nine is always a threat," Harris told krikya18.com. "They have potential to do damage anywhere. That what's making us so successful; it's taking a lot of pressure off people. If you don't get on base, if you don't do something, then you know the person behind you has got your back, and I think that helps me a lot, too. I know I have Jazzy Myers behind me, so if I get out or don't do what I need to, I know I have Jazzy to back me up."
McKendree's Sami Huck is pumped after another complete-game win at the DII softball championship.
Huck, a two-way player who is having the best season of her career in the circle with a 27-6 record, 2.08 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 296 strikeouts, has been in the circle for every inning of those one-run thrillers. She's also the team's leadoff hitter, setting the tone for this clutch lineup.
"Leading off, it can be stressful at times," Huck said. "But I know that, Lo [Lauren Harris] is behind me. I love getting on because anytime I'm on, I'm either in a scoring position after Lo, or I scored. That's a really good thing to have, especially when I'm a leadoff batter and the starting pitcher."
This was just a 33-win team last year. In fact, the Bearcats have averaged only 28.9 wins per season (minus the COVID-shortened 2020 season) since their last, and lone, tournament appearance in 2018, when they won 38 games. This team is now the greatest in program history, and while it starts with Harris and Huck, there is plenty of talent to go around.
"I think we really came together as a team this year," Huck said. "Last year, we were one of the closest teams I've ever been a part of, and then this year kind of just blew it out of the water. We have all of our inside jokes, we have times where we just come together, do whatever we want to do, and I think that's really helped us in the long run."
Superstitions. Cellies. Handling the pressure and processing this incredible run. Harris and Huck sat down with krikya18.com and talked all about that and more from the DII softball championship.
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