RCW: From the office of ... Megan Smith

Entering her eighth season as the leader of Kansas softball, Megan Smith has turned Kansas into a consistent contender and continues to develop record-breaking players. In 2016, along with reaching the 30-win plateau for the sixth year in a row, the Jayhawks’ pitching staff saw a hurler toss a no-hitter for the fourth-consecutive season. Kansas returns a strong core for 2017 and started their preparations for the spring with fall ball opening last week. The start of a new season reminds Smith of the start of her time at KU.  

“When I first got here there was a really special group of freshmen who, from the second I got here, bought into everything I believed in and the new philosophy of Kansas softball. And they whole-heartedly did. They never once questioned or went against anything that we stand for. They inspired their teammates to get on board with it. They stood up as freshmen and were leaders and are really the reason why we have such a strong team right now, because they were committed to it. Alongside myself, they led that team, and every team they were on, to reach for better than what they had done before. 

“Those four are, obviously, great softball players.  But, they’re really great people and they embody what Kansas softball is all about. They gave that to me after Mariah (Montgomery) and Alex (Jones) were done with their careers. They came back to the office and gave that to me. It’s just really special. Those four mean a lot to me and to Kansas softball.”

The softball team’s fall slate continues Wednesday against Rockhurst at 6 p.m., and Thursday tilt against Hutchinson Community College at 6 p.m. before closing with a final game next week.