Tweet
RH: "I'm Going to Soak It In"
Wichita State softball coach Kristi Bredbenner's first impression of Addison Barnard is her falling at second base during a race at summer camp at Wilkins Stadium.
"That's very vivid," Barnard said. "I was running really hard and as I turned second, I kind of faceplanted."
That image is at odds with what most of us see from Barnard, who is a unique combination of power, speed, and skill with a softball bat. What happened after she tumbled tells us more about what made her a success athletically and academically.
"She got right back up, hustled, finished it and then asked if she could do it again," Bredbenner said. "The competitive juices that were flowing. She wanted to be the fastest one. She didn't care that she ate it."
Asking to run that race again showed Bredbenner determination. Then Barnard ran the bases in under 11 seconds and Bredbenner knew she possessed special athletic talent. Barnard accepted a scholarship offer soon after.
"I knew I had a chance to do really well and stand out, so that's why I wanted to do it again," Barnard said.
Barnard set a high standard for herself that day and never stopped, whether in the batting cages, the outfield or the classrooms and laboratories. She is a health science major and applied to the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing with plans to work in anesthesia. Her mother Deann Barnard is a nurse practitioner.
Her list of academic honors almost matches her softball awards. She earned College Sports Communicators first-team Academic All-American in 2022. She is a two-time NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and a fixture on the AAC All-Academic teams and WSU's Athletic Director's Honor Roll (most recently with a 4.0 GPA last fall).
"Academics absolutely came first for her," said Gretchen Torline, director of athletic academic services. "She was in a major, that has lots of science classes with lots of labs, that isn't always conducive to being an athlete. Very driven. Knew what she wanted to do. Studying all the time."
Barnard said she needed organization to make As in a challenging major. She learned that writing notes with a stylus on her iPad helps her visualize her study guides. She became known as "iPad Girl" as the tablet accompanied her on the bus and in hotel lobbies as Barnard squeezed in study time.
While she came to WSU with high expectations academically, Barnard wasn't sure how her softball skills would translate to college. She famously told coaches she hoped to use her speed as a freshman to run the bases.
She did much more than that.
Barnard ranks 10th on the NCAA career list with 86 home runs. She ranks first in Shocker and American Athletic Conference history after adding 17 to her total so far this season. She owns numerous All-American, All-Region and All-AAC awards, highlighted by first-team All-American and AAC Player of the Year honors in 2022.
Those numbers, in addition to a career .363 batting average, 65 stolen bases and improved skills in center field, aren't the most important part of Barnard's time at Wichita State.
"She's very goal-oriented, focused on what she wants to do beyond softball," Bredbenner said. "Holistically, Addie B is great at everything. It doesn't surprise me one bit she's a great student. She's going to work hard to be the best at it."
Last month, Barnard was named WSU's Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Wheaties awards ceremony.
Barnard, who is WSU's career leader with 215 runs batted in, hit 22 homers as a freshman and 33 as a sophomore. Last season, a shoulder injury limited her power, although she played in 52 of WSU's 56 games. She hit 14 home runs with a .369 batting average, nine doubles, a career-high four triples and 22 steals.
She is going out with similar numbers as a senior - .372 batting average, a career-high 10 doubles and a .478 on-base percentage on track for a career-high.
Paired with a power-packed lineup, Barnard's home runs highlighted the program's breakout era. The Shockers played in three straight NCAA regionals and won AAC titles in 2021 and 2023.
When Barnard walks past renderings of plans for a renovation and expansion of Wilkins Stadium and its locker room and practice facilities, she knows she and her teammates played a major role elevating softball at WSU.
Barnard, who is WSU's career leader with 215 runs batted in, hit 22 homers as a freshman and 33 as a sophomore. Last season, a shoulder injury limited her power, although she played in 52 of WSU's 56 games. She hit 14 home runs with a .369 batting average, nine doubles, a career-high four triples and 22 steals.
She is going out with similar numbers as a senior - .372 batting average, a career-high 10 doubles and a .478 on-base percentage on track for a career-high.
Paired with a power-packed lineup, Barnard's home runs highlighted the program's breakout era. The Shockers played in three straight NCAA regionals and won AAC titles in 2021 and 2023.
When Barnard walks past renderings of plans for a renovation and expansion of Wilkins Stadium and its locker room and practice facilities, she knows she and her teammates played a major role elevating softball at WSU.
"I've gotten to do so many things that a lot of people don't," she said. "This program has shaped me into who I am today, and I couldn't be more grateful. It's taught me how to enjoy the moments and why you enjoy the moments."
As she approaches her last weeks at the stadium, she is focused on enjoying those moments.
"Even the little things – talks with the team, lining up on the foul line, getting your name called," she said. "Playing catch. Warmups. I'm going to soak it in."
Now this to me is really what college athletics should be all about.
Wichita State softball coach Kristi Bredbenner's first impression of Addison Barnard is her falling at second base during a race at summer camp at Wilkins Stadium.
"That's very vivid," Barnard said. "I was running really hard and as I turned second, I kind of faceplanted."
That image is at odds with what most of us see from Barnard, who is a unique combination of power, speed, and skill with a softball bat. What happened after she tumbled tells us more about what made her a success athletically and academically.
"She got right back up, hustled, finished it and then asked if she could do it again," Bredbenner said. "The competitive juices that were flowing. She wanted to be the fastest one. She didn't care that she ate it."
Asking to run that race again showed Bredbenner determination. Then Barnard ran the bases in under 11 seconds and Bredbenner knew she possessed special athletic talent. Barnard accepted a scholarship offer soon after.
"I knew I had a chance to do really well and stand out, so that's why I wanted to do it again," Barnard said.
Barnard set a high standard for herself that day and never stopped, whether in the batting cages, the outfield or the classrooms and laboratories. She is a health science major and applied to the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing with plans to work in anesthesia. Her mother Deann Barnard is a nurse practitioner.
Her list of academic honors almost matches her softball awards. She earned College Sports Communicators first-team Academic All-American in 2022. She is a two-time NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and a fixture on the AAC All-Academic teams and WSU's Athletic Director's Honor Roll (most recently with a 4.0 GPA last fall).
"Academics absolutely came first for her," said Gretchen Torline, director of athletic academic services. "She was in a major, that has lots of science classes with lots of labs, that isn't always conducive to being an athlete. Very driven. Knew what she wanted to do. Studying all the time."
Barnard said she needed organization to make As in a challenging major. She learned that writing notes with a stylus on her iPad helps her visualize her study guides. She became known as "iPad Girl" as the tablet accompanied her on the bus and in hotel lobbies as Barnard squeezed in study time.
While she came to WSU with high expectations academically, Barnard wasn't sure how her softball skills would translate to college. She famously told coaches she hoped to use her speed as a freshman to run the bases.
She did much more than that.
Barnard ranks 10th on the NCAA career list with 86 home runs. She ranks first in Shocker and American Athletic Conference history after adding 17 to her total so far this season. She owns numerous All-American, All-Region and All-AAC awards, highlighted by first-team All-American and AAC Player of the Year honors in 2022.
Those numbers, in addition to a career .363 batting average, 65 stolen bases and improved skills in center field, aren't the most important part of Barnard's time at Wichita State.
"She's very goal-oriented, focused on what she wants to do beyond softball," Bredbenner said. "Holistically, Addie B is great at everything. It doesn't surprise me one bit she's a great student. She's going to work hard to be the best at it."
Last month, Barnard was named WSU's Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Wheaties awards ceremony.
Barnard, who is WSU's career leader with 215 runs batted in, hit 22 homers as a freshman and 33 as a sophomore. Last season, a shoulder injury limited her power, although she played in 52 of WSU's 56 games. She hit 14 home runs with a .369 batting average, nine doubles, a career-high four triples and 22 steals.
She is going out with similar numbers as a senior - .372 batting average, a career-high 10 doubles and a .478 on-base percentage on track for a career-high.
Paired with a power-packed lineup, Barnard's home runs highlighted the program's breakout era. The Shockers played in three straight NCAA regionals and won AAC titles in 2021 and 2023.
When Barnard walks past renderings of plans for a renovation and expansion of Wilkins Stadium and its locker room and practice facilities, she knows she and her teammates played a major role elevating softball at WSU.
Barnard, who is WSU's career leader with 215 runs batted in, hit 22 homers as a freshman and 33 as a sophomore. Last season, a shoulder injury limited her power, although she played in 52 of WSU's 56 games. She hit 14 home runs with a .369 batting average, nine doubles, a career-high four triples and 22 steals.
She is going out with similar numbers as a senior - .372 batting average, a career-high 10 doubles and a .478 on-base percentage on track for a career-high.
Paired with a power-packed lineup, Barnard's home runs highlighted the program's breakout era. The Shockers played in three straight NCAA regionals and won AAC titles in 2021 and 2023.
When Barnard walks past renderings of plans for a renovation and expansion of Wilkins Stadium and its locker room and practice facilities, she knows she and her teammates played a major role elevating softball at WSU.
"I've gotten to do so many things that a lot of people don't," she said. "This program has shaped me into who I am today, and I couldn't be more grateful. It's taught me how to enjoy the moments and why you enjoy the moments."
As she approaches her last weeks at the stadium, she is focused on enjoying those moments.
"Even the little things – talks with the team, lining up on the foul line, getting your name called," she said. "Playing catch. Warmups. I'm going to soak it in."
Now this to me is really what college athletics should be all about.
Comment