Since the 2024-25 softball season started, Colorado State softball went from 15 upperclassmen to only seven on this season’s roster.
Even though some may view this as a setback, the Rams are using it to build around a young core of players who hope to bring success to the Rams. Four players stand out among the rest with their individual success, as they’ve spent the season settling into their roles and improving their talents.
As the season nears the end, each of these players have grown since their first appearance at the plate this year. It’s been a journey full of learning experiences that will be sure to help the Rams in the future and might help to create success — all this while players are settling in and developing chemistry in the lineup, which is extremely important as some team leaders gear up for graduation.
“It’s definitely flown by, which is sad because we only have so much time left with some of our teammates,” said Kaylynn English, a second-year player. “But it’s been a really fun year. A lot of us have played together before — probably five of us on our travel team — so it was fun to play with those freshmen again and rekindle that relationship on the field.”
This young core for CSU softball has shown signs of leadership and skill that has the potential to sprout and aid in future wins as time goes on.
One of the most impressive players on the entire roster is English, an infielder from Parker, Colorado, who is already one of the best players on the team. She’s second on the team in batting average, with a .349 average, and is third on the team in OPS, with .859. She’s also hit 16 RBIs this season. English plays the role of speedster when she gets on base, as she has had eight steal attempts and stolen eight bags this season — the most on the team.
She’s the type of player who can place balls on the ground and beat them out to grab first base.
Kyra Smith, a true freshman from Puyallup, Washington, has been playing lights in her first season with the Rams. Hitting a sixth-best .288 batting average on the team, she has also hit the most home runs of anybody this season with four. Pairing that up with 20 RBIs, it’s clear she’s been productive with every at-bat she has taken. She ranks third on the team in slugging percentage with a .477 average, which backs up her ability to play good offense.
“I came in with no expectations,” Smith said. “I didn’t know what I was coming into. I was just trying to get it day-by-day, and I just think the guidance from everyone on the team and from the upperclassmen, it’s just super helpful (and a) super welcoming community that just helps us all thrive together and thrive as a team.”
Autumn Rutherford, from Longmont, Colorado, is the other true freshman who has been tearing it up on the field as of late.
She leads the team in RBIs with 24 and ranks third on the team in batting average with a .288. Rutherford plays like she’s been at the college level for years now, and she sees the ball extremely well. That pairs up with great plate discipline, as she’s only struck out seven times this season. Only one player has fewer strikeouts than her — senior Brooke Bohlender.
“It was a rough month at the very beginning, but it definitely got easier as the season went on,” Rutherford said. “Everybody was really welcoming, and so transitioning and getting to know each other better definitely helped me ease into it.”
Lauren Stucky, a redshirt freshman from Parker, has been a solid key in the lineup and has developed into a role player who can be placed either as a leadoff hitter or play in the middle of the line up due to her consistency. She can get hits and stretch out at-bats when needed. Stucky’s stats on paper might not immediately wow people, but in games, she can be a player who creates game-changing moments that the team rallies around.
These players are the building blocks for a brighter future for CSU softball. They will soon be team leaders who will head the program and be the rallying point for success.
Reach Alex Graser at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter at @AlexGraser5354.
