From 2017 to 2020 California High School softball alumni Lauren Hill made a lasting impact on her community as an athlete. Now she's swinging for the stars at Central Methodist University.
She is a lifelong California resident. She played both softball and basketball for the Lady Pintos and was a freshman when Lady Pintos basketball finished second place in the Class 3 state tournament.
Hill said her parents encouraged her to play softball and basketball as a youth. She played recreation softball in California and played for travel teams called the Crush and the Bombers.
Hill played with Lady Pintos as a catcher in softball from 2017 to 2020 and accumulated a record of 63-33 in her high school career.
"I think the best part of playing with the Lady Pintos was just really getting to work with one of my best friends Cameron Schlup and coach Stock. I think he came in my freshman year and getting to work with him all four years was great. I just absolutely loved him as a coach and as a person," Hill said.
Hill is currently playing collegiate softball at Central Methodist University while earning a degree in elementary education.
She has played two years of softball for the Lady Eagles and has won the Heart Softball Conference Tournament both years. This past spring, Hill helped Central Methodist reach the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Softball World Series as the starting catcher. In an elimination game against Georgia Gwinnett, Hill hit a two-run home run off of NAIA Pitcher of the Year Annalise Wood.
"The World Series was so much fun. You get to meet so many people. There were teams from all over including two teams from Oregon. You just get to see meet all these cool people, get to see cool things, and play on the biggest stages in the NAIA," Hill said. "Then just hitting that home run off of Georgia Gwinnett, off of the pitcher of the year, that was pretty cool. Even though we ended up losing the game 9-7, it was still a really motivating and really cool thing to do."
Hill's current plans are to continue playing softball for Central Methodist and complete her elementary education degree in the next two years. After that, she would like to give her own special thanks to California by coming back to be a teacher and a coach.
"I'd honestly just like to say 'thank you' to California for everything that they have done for me. I mean, I've had so many come up to me and just say, like, 'wow, you are such an inspiration to all the little girls in California.' It just shows how much you can do even in a small town like that," Hill said. "My dream goal is to come back to California and coach and work in the California school district."
(Photo submitted by Lauren Hill)