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Rio Vista senior pitcher Kailee Dyer’s 4-year journey with the program has seen its fair share of obstacles.
Being diagnosed with anxiety after attacks in her time in select ball, multiple season-ending injuries and the constant struggle to get back to her proper form gave Dyer more of a sense of relief whenever she reached 500 career strikeouts in March.
Now, entering the final week of the regular season, Dyer is nearing 600 strikeouts and leading the Lady Eagles to an undefeated 7-0 District 15-2A record and a 21-5 overall record.
“I thought I would actually have a lot more difficulties this year,” said Dyer.
Coming into her final season, Dyer was still recovering from a knee injury she suffered from her time in track junior year. Attempting to train through a pulled hamstring, Dyer dislocated her kneecap and was diagnosed with patellofemoral syndrome.
The injury kept her out for nearly the entire softball season.
“I wanted to be out there during that time,” said Dyer. “I was trying to push myself to get back, but my doctor kept saying no.”
The feeling was familiar to the Lady Eagle as her freshman year was plagued by injuries as well. After falling from 20+ feet, Dyer suffered a concussion, tore soft tissues in her hip and dislocated a rib.
She still visits a chiropractor for those injuries.
“When she got hurt that first time, she felt like she let her team down,” said Rio Vista Head Coach Keith Johnson. “It took us a while to tell her it wasn’t you.”
Dyer returned the following season and became a vital member of the team that went 27-9-2 overall, 12-0 as district champs and appeared in the area round of the playoffs.
Becoming the No. 1 pitcher for the Lady Eagles during their area series versus Petrolia due to injuries, Rio Vista pushed the Lady Pirates to three games. Johnson said that his young pitcher became a leader that night.
Dyer faced a similar situation in her senior year, knowing she was the team’s first choice on the mound.
“I was ready to go, but also nervous because I haven’t been out on that field in forever,” said Dyer. “The only time I was ever on a field was during the summer in select ball. I wasn’t at 100% at all during that time.”
After keeping Dyer on a pitch count through the early part of the season, Johnson put trust into the Lady Eagle during the Franklin tournament to pitch full games.
Once he saw her pitch through five innings, specifically in the Tolar game, both sides felt confident going forward.
“It was really difficult,” admitted Dyer about her recovery process. “But because of those injuries, I’ve gotten a lot better and I realized some things that I’ve never been able to use.”
Dyer’s abilities were showcased in a crucial week of games for Rio Vista, including a 10-strikeout performance in its 8-4 win over Hico on April 9. With a 14-5 victory over Italy last Friday, the Lady Eagles are in sole possession of first place in the standings.
“The sophomore year team, nobody expected us to be as good as we were,” said Johnson. “This year is a hungry squad. I don’t think we’ve scratched the surface of what we want because our goals aren’t just district. They want to build as far as they can because they feel like last season they lost out and they are out to prove to everyone what they really can be.”
Rio Vista continues to focus on its improving defense that has limited the amount of fielding errors compared to earlier in the season. Dyer hopes the team doesn’t rely so heavily on her strikeout ability and is confident that they can be unstoppable against opposing offenses.
“They see the lights in the tunnel,” said Johnson. “They see what they’ve been waiting for and they’re ready for it.”
Once the season is over, Dyer plans to attend multiple events featuring scouts from colleges at every level and is certain in her ability to play at the next level despite the time lost from injuries.
Wherever she goes, Dyer said she’ll definitely invite Johnson out to her games even though he’ll probably be a little crazy.
The Lady Eagles finish out their district schedule with two home games against Meridian (Tuesday) and Italy (Thursday). Tuesday’s game starts at 6 p.m. while Thursday’s begins at 5:30 p.m.
Continue reading...
Being diagnosed with anxiety after attacks in her time in select ball, multiple season-ending injuries and the constant struggle to get back to her proper form gave Dyer more of a sense of relief whenever she reached 500 career strikeouts in March.
Now, entering the final week of the regular season, Dyer is nearing 600 strikeouts and leading the Lady Eagles to an undefeated 7-0 District 15-2A record and a 21-5 overall record.
“I thought I would actually have a lot more difficulties this year,” said Dyer.
Coming into her final season, Dyer was still recovering from a knee injury she suffered from her time in track junior year. Attempting to train through a pulled hamstring, Dyer dislocated her kneecap and was diagnosed with patellofemoral syndrome.
The injury kept her out for nearly the entire softball season.
“I wanted to be out there during that time,” said Dyer. “I was trying to push myself to get back, but my doctor kept saying no.”
The feeling was familiar to the Lady Eagle as her freshman year was plagued by injuries as well. After falling from 20+ feet, Dyer suffered a concussion, tore soft tissues in her hip and dislocated a rib.
She still visits a chiropractor for those injuries.
“When she got hurt that first time, she felt like she let her team down,” said Rio Vista Head Coach Keith Johnson. “It took us a while to tell her it wasn’t you.”
Dyer returned the following season and became a vital member of the team that went 27-9-2 overall, 12-0 as district champs and appeared in the area round of the playoffs.
Becoming the No. 1 pitcher for the Lady Eagles during their area series versus Petrolia due to injuries, Rio Vista pushed the Lady Pirates to three games. Johnson said that his young pitcher became a leader that night.
Dyer faced a similar situation in her senior year, knowing she was the team’s first choice on the mound.
“I was ready to go, but also nervous because I haven’t been out on that field in forever,” said Dyer. “The only time I was ever on a field was during the summer in select ball. I wasn’t at 100% at all during that time.”
After keeping Dyer on a pitch count through the early part of the season, Johnson put trust into the Lady Eagle during the Franklin tournament to pitch full games.
Once he saw her pitch through five innings, specifically in the Tolar game, both sides felt confident going forward.
“It was really difficult,” admitted Dyer about her recovery process. “But because of those injuries, I’ve gotten a lot better and I realized some things that I’ve never been able to use.”
Dyer’s abilities were showcased in a crucial week of games for Rio Vista, including a 10-strikeout performance in its 8-4 win over Hico on April 9. With a 14-5 victory over Italy last Friday, the Lady Eagles are in sole possession of first place in the standings.
“The sophomore year team, nobody expected us to be as good as we were,” said Johnson. “This year is a hungry squad. I don’t think we’ve scratched the surface of what we want because our goals aren’t just district. They want to build as far as they can because they feel like last season they lost out and they are out to prove to everyone what they really can be.”
Rio Vista continues to focus on its improving defense that has limited the amount of fielding errors compared to earlier in the season. Dyer hopes the team doesn’t rely so heavily on her strikeout ability and is confident that they can be unstoppable against opposing offenses.
“They see the lights in the tunnel,” said Johnson. “They see what they’ve been waiting for and they’re ready for it.”
Once the season is over, Dyer plans to attend multiple events featuring scouts from colleges at every level and is certain in her ability to play at the next level despite the time lost from injuries.
Wherever she goes, Dyer said she’ll definitely invite Johnson out to her games even though he’ll probably be a little crazy.
The Lady Eagles finish out their district schedule with two home games against Meridian (Tuesday) and Italy (Thursday). Tuesday’s game starts at 6 p.m. while Thursday’s begins at 5:30 p.m.
Continue reading...
