If you want to know anything about playing right field for the Trinity Lutheran softball team just ask Kirstin Hoene.
She is in her fourth season starting in right field for the Cougars.
Hoene said communication is important between her and the first baseman and second baseman on pop ups into short right field, and between her and the center fielder on balls hit into right-center.
“I like the challenge, especially in the outfield when the ball gets hit high, and the wind moves the ball: so you have to be able to read it,” Hoene said. “Sometimes it doesn’t go where you think it is going to go.”
The senior has confidence in being able to get to balls hit in the gap or down the right field line.
“I like the thinking aspect,” Hoene said of the position. “You have to know where the runners are and you have to think ahead of where they’re going to be.”
Hoene has been batting seventh this spring.
She said most of the time she just tries to make contact, although she hit one off the fence in an earlier game.
“It depends on the situation,” Hoene said. “If there are two outs I try to keep it on the ground so we can advance runners and they can’t just make an easy catch.”
She began playing softball at an early age in Seymour, and said her highlight win in high school was beating Orleans in the West Washington Sectional championship game last season.
Hoene said it is going to take teamwork to keep winning games this season.
“There’s a lot of individual aspects to it, but you have to put everybody’s individual capabilities together to be successful,” Hoene said. “We definitely want to win sectional again. We’ve beat a few teams we’ve never beat before, so we’d like to do that a few more times. I’d like to have a better batting average.”
In 2016, Hoene decided to play soccer when the school started a girls’ team.
“I wanted to try something new and I played soccer when I was younger,” she gave as her reasons for playing soccer. “I thought it might be fun. I liked the team aspect and how we had to work together for everything. “
On the pitch, Hoene primarily played on the back line.
“You need to know where your teammates are,” Hoene said of playing defense. “If you’re going to the goal you need to know where the defense is, and where to go. When you’re coming down you need to talk, like who has the ball, who has the back, and who to pass it to.”
Momentum’s a big factor in games, according to Hoene.
“It’s probably pretty important because then it sets the feel of the game,” Hoene said. “If you score the first goal you’re going to be more enthusiastic throughout the game.”
Hoene said the highlight win for her was helping the Cougars defeat Southwestern (Hanover) in the first round of the 2015 Lawrenceburg Sectional.
Hoene said she is pleased she chose to attend Trinity.
“I like the family aspect, and everybody knows everybody,” she said. “The class sizes are nice. I’ve enjoyed the friends I’ve made. You can make friends in all the classes. I’m friends with freshmen, sophomores and juniors.”
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Name: Kirsten Hoene
School: Trinity Lutheran High School
Parents: Eric and Johnni Hoene
Sports: softball 4 years, soccer 2 years, volleyball 2 years
Athletic honors: soccer: most improved, academic all-state, named top team player by IHSSCA; softball- 2016 sectional champions, most improved, Cougar Award
Organizations: National Honor Society, student ambassadors, FFA, 4H.
Plans after high school: attend Indiana State University, study nursing.
Favorite food: Lasagna
Favorite TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
Favorite musician: Thomas Rhett
Favorite team: Indiana University
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