Softball: Richmond-Burton pitcher Hailey Holtz commits to Iowa State

Richmond-Burton’s Hailey Holtz felt right at home during an official visit to Iowa State University last weekend.

Even with snow and below-freezing temperatures that made getting around somewhat difficult, the Rockets junior pitcher loved everything about the Big 12 school in Ames, Iowa.

“One of the things a lot of people say during recruitment is you’ll know when you find the place you want to be,” Holtz said. “I never really knew what that meant. How am I just going to know? And truly, when I got on campus, I got that feeling. This is where I wanted to play ball.”

Throughout the recruiting process, Holtz also was talking to Miami (Ohio), Pennsylvania, DePaul and UIC. Iowa State quickly rose to No. 1 on her list.

Her visit, which included seeing Iowa State’s men’s and women’s basketball games, sealed the deal. On Monday, Holtz announced her commitment to the NCAA Division I Cyclones and coach Jamie Pinkerton.

“One of the things I was really looking for is that family atmosphere,” Holtz said. “When I got there, it really did feel like one huge family. I truly could see how supported the athletes were. I wasn’t sure how it was going to be with all the snow, and the [arena] was still packed. Getting to see that atmosphere, it was crazy.”

Holtz earned Northwest Herald All-Area second-team honors as a sophomore, striking out 89 batters in 85 innings while also hitting .405 with a .472 on-base percentage. Her freshman season, Holtz went 16-3 with a 1.18 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 136 2/3 innings.

Richmond-Burton coach Tylar Stanton said Holtz’s demeanor is never too high or too low. She’s always “business as usual.”

“As a pitcher in the circle, she’s stone-faced,” Stanton said. “She’s got a killer mentality. And when she’s on, she’s a different breed. She’s very very talented. And as a person, in the community and in school, she holds very well in her academics. She’s got a great friend group, she makes the right decisions. She’s one of those girls that you see in the hall and always has a smile on her face.”

Last year’s pitching duties were more equally split between Holtz and teammate Madison Kunzer. They also are teammates on the same travel team, Iowa Premier.

Holtz is throwing consistently in the 62 to 63 mph range, more close to where she was during her freshman season. That year, the Rockets won a sectional championship and fell a win short of reaching the Class 2A state tournament.

Holtz admitted last year was a little frustrating. She had one of her best games in a regional final win over Regina Dominican, tossing a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

“Last year, I struggled a little,” Holtz said. “I feel like I was definitely stronger my freshman year, so I kind of took the summer to really work on getting better, and this fall I saw a lot of improvements.

“I’ve really been working on my spin pitches and making sure they are more accurate. That was kind of the thing I struggled with last year. They were just a little high or a little low. So really just perfecting those and getting a better spin rate has been helping me lately.”

Holtz said it was always a big dream of hers to play in college.

She got her start as a pitcher at a young age when her youth team needed someone to fill in one day. Holtz now takes pitching lessons with Jill Waldron, who played at North Central College and coached at Elmhurst and Judson University.

“As a pitcher in the circle, she’s stone-faced. She’s got a killer mentality. And when she’s on, she’s a different breed.”

—  Tylar Stanton, Richmond-Burton softball coach

Richmond-Burton went 17-9 and 6-4 in the Kishwaukee River Conference last year, tying for second place. The Rockets will have a different look in the spring, with many of their top hitters graduated, including KRC Player of the Year Taylor Davison (Syracuse). Holtz and Kunzer both return to the circle.

“I’m looking forward to the team dynamic this season,” Holtz said. “We’ve got a few girls coming up, and I think we’re going to be good. I think we’ve got a chance to go far. I’m looking forward to bonding as a team, going out and winning a lot of games.”

Holtz will continue to work on her craft and is excited for the future.

“Working with the pitching coaches at that level will be huge,” Holtz said. “Just the experiences that will come with playing at that level, the places you’ll get to see and the bonds you’ll make with your team. I think it will be fun.”