The UNK softball team is hoping to make it back to the MIAA tournament for the second time in program history and the first since 2022, and are relying on players like senior first baseman Leah Jurgens, who is finishing out her four year career with UNK this season.
UNK finishes out the regular season this Saturday against their rival Fort Hays State in a double header. Both teams have an 8-14 conference record tied for eighth. UNK needs to win both games or at least split to make it to the MIAA tournament. There are currently four teams in the MIAA with an 8-14 conference record.
Jurgens had really good coaches in softball growing up which had a big impact on why she chose softball, including her high school coach Shawn Carr.
“He was a really personable coach,” Jurgens said. “He cared about the girls not only as athletes but as people too. He loved to see us succeed not just in softball but in the classroom and anything we had going on in our lives.”
Jurgens started playing softball at a young age. Then club ball started to take over when she was about 12 years old all the way until she was in college. She was a member of the Prodigy Easton Nebraska club team.
Jurgens found herself most successful in softball and there were multiple aspects that made it stand out from the other sports.
“I like that it’s a team sport but also individual. I enjoy defense, how there’s a team aspect within that,” Jurgens said. “But then offense it’s individual but also team, as you string hits together to be able to throw some runs across the board.”
Jurgens is from Lincoln but she went to Crete High School. She competed in softball, basketball, soccer, and track her senior year. She won a state championship in softball in her freshman year and won a state championship in basketball her junior year.
Family and having her club teammate commit with her was a huge part in her commitment to come play softball at UNK.
“I love my family so I wanted to make sure I could stay close to home so they could come watch me play,” Jurgens said. “I know that is huge for them. One of my club teammates, my best friend Lyndsey Roth, committed here too. So, we were kind of a little package deal coming in.”
In her freshman year she appeared in 28 games with 14 starts. She finished the year with 87 putouts and three assists. The Lopers were 13-13 in MIAA play and 25-27 overall. UNK made it to the MIAA tournament for the first time ever. The Lopers upset second seed Central Oklahoma in the first round winning 4-3.
Roth transferred after their sophomore season.
“She had a conversation with me about maybe going with her,” Jurgens said. “But it just came down to Kearney. It feels like home.”
Jurgens is one of the rare college athletes that spent her whole college career at one school.
Jurgens is now in her senior year for UNK. She is second on the team in batting average in conference games batting .294. She’s sixth all time at UNK in putouts with 942 in Loper history with a career fielding percentage of .984.
Jurgens makes everyone on the team feel like they matter.
“She definitely made me feel like I was at home and I felt seen which I feel like that is an awesome quality to have,” said sophomore Alyssa Fortik. “She just has the ability to talk to anyone on the team whether they’re a starter, a bench player, freshman or senior.”
The team’s togetherness has been a big part in the Lopers success this season.
“Being surrounded by girls that you enjoy being around makes the sport a lot more enjoyable,” Jurgens said. “I think everyone competes to the best of their ability when they feel supported.”
UNK will have a double-header on the road this Saturday against Fort Hays State.
