2023 Daily Chronicle Softball Player of the Year: Sycamore’s Tia Durst

For a short while before the softball season began, it seemed as if Tia Durst wasn’t going to have a senior season, thanks to a shoulder tear.

She ended up playing in a limited capacity and still managed to write her name into the Sycamore record books.

Her injury kept her out of the field, but she hit .409 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs, setting the school career home record with 24. For her accomplishments, Durst was named the Daily Chronicle Softball Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

She’s just one of those kids she’s going to find a way to do something special.”

—  Jill Carpenter, Sycamore coach

“I just wish I was able to play defense and put up some more numbers offensively,” Durst said. “But I think it went pretty well. The team did great, especially with how young this team was. But we made it really far, which I was really happy with.”

Like every other senior, Durst didn’t have a freshman season. The pandemic wiped that out. And in her sophomore year, COVID-19 mitigations made for a strange year. The season was scheduled to start later than usual anyway, and she played volleyball, which delayed her start even more – and that was before she had to sit out because of a case of COVID-19.

But last year she set the school RBI mark with 48, a number she nearly surpassed this year. Her batting average was second-highest on the team, and she had an eye-popping 1.319 on base-plus-slugging average.

“Tia just wanted to be perfect times a million at the plate because that’s all she could do,” Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter said. “She felt it was her one way to contribute. She was super loud and supportive in the dugout when we were on defense and did a great job keeping everyone’s energy up.”

As a junior, Durst committed eight errors all season at shortstop and had a program-record 86 assists. This year, she had to play exclusively as the designated player as Keera Trautvetter took over duties at short.

“When I think of softball and think of myself playing it, I’m definitely defense and offense,” Durst said. “Before I got good at hitting, defense was my No. 1 love. It was hard not being able to play the full game, but I tried my best to be a good teammate, and a lot of girls stepped up, like Keera. She did a great job filling in that role at shortstop.”

The Spartans reached the supersectional round, their longest postseason run since winning the Class 3A state title in 2019.

Durst said the postseason run was really special representing the high school and the community. She said the team’s regional semifinal win against Kaneland – a contest that started in Belvidere but got moved to the Sycamore Park District fields under the lights in a game that went past 9:30 on a school night – was a highlight of community support with the fans out in huge numbers for the impromptu conclusion of the contest.

“It was really cool to be a part and get to experience,” said Durst, who’s going to Lake Land College in Mattoon to continue her playing career. “It’s different when you’re playing high school because you grew up with all those girls, all from the same town, obviously. We know each other’s families. It was cool to go far with those girls and have the support of the town behind us.”

Carpenter said having only Durst’s bat sure beat not having her on the team at all.

“Obviously, she’s a generational type of player, and she did an awesome job for us, even if she could only bat,” Carpenter said. “There’s no way she’s not going to be in the lineup. She’s just one of those kids she’s going to find a way to do something special. It’s how she’s made up and you know you’re going to get 110% from her on the field. While I understand some of her disappointment, most people wold kill to have those numbers.”

Durst said she’s proud of what she and her teammates accomplished in Sycamore under not just Carpenter but assistant Sarah Chapman, as well.

“High school softball has definitely been very fun and enjoyable,” Durst said. “Coach Carp has done a great job of paving the way for this program. She’s set a lot of standards for us, which we all try to meet. ... Even outside the success the team had this year, the lessons we learned and the understanding of what it means to be a good teammate, a good student, a good daughter – that’s what we take away more from coach Carp and coach Chap.”