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Southland's Kylie Walker signs with Three Rivers College
CARDWELL, Mo. - Southland High School phenom Kylie Walker embraced the crowd of her entire school district on Friday afternoon as she signed a letter of intent to play softball at Three Rivers College.
Her high school principal Ben Nelson addressed the crowd, filled with everyone from K-12 and even numerous of Walker’s teammates from other schools and travel teams.
“On behalf of the school, we are so proud of Kylie,” Nelson said. “As you can see, she is quite the athlete.”
Nelson gestures to the decorations behind him filled with all of Walker’s awards. More championship rings and trophies to count, a bucket filled with over 100 or so softballs representing each “over the fence” home run she hit during her time in high school along with dozens of trophies and plaques representing all of her accolades. Sitting among these were pictures, capturing the lifelong memories of Walker’s softball career.
“In my 19 years of education and watching high school athletes, I think I can say she is probably the best softball player I’ve ever got to watch live,” Nelson said. “Kylie is probably the best softball player I’ve ever seen.”
Walker enters her senior season holding multiple Southland softball records.
“I’m just super thankful for all of the people who have supported me through this journey,” Walker said. “I’m super excited to play the sport I love at the next level.”
On Nov. 6, Walker verbally announced her choice to continue her education and athletic career at Three Rivers College.
“I really love the environment there,” Walker said. “The coach is going to push me to be the best I can be and even better.”
These past two years, due to dwindling participation, Southland High School joined the Senath-Hornersville Lions for softball.
Walker has helped the Lions to two back-to-back winning season records.
Senath-Hornersville coach Melani Rooney reminisces on her time coaching Walker.
“I didn’t know anything about Kylie,” Rooney said. “I missed a season while out for maternity leave and when I came back, everyone was telling me there was a girl from Southland who is so good. I had to see it to believe it, I quickly realized that Kylie was something special.”
Rooney said her athletic ability was something out of this world.
“She could be an above-average player if she never practiced a day in her life,” Rooney said. “But the thing that makes Kylie so special is that she doesn’t settle for anything.”
After practice, Walker would go straight to hitting lessons to continue perfecting her craft.
Her dedication has pushed and aided her to hold numerous Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) records.
She is ranked number one in the state in seven different categories. This includes the most bases in a season and on-base percentage, best season batting average and best slugging percentage in a single season. She also has the Missouri record for most home runs per game and RBIs per game in a single season.
Along with these single-season records, Walker holds the Missouri record for the most home runs per game throughout her career as only a junior.
In 2023, Walker broke the Southland record for most home runs in a single season and the single-season RBI record. She finished as the Bootheel Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-State.
Her 2024 season was just as remarkable earning First-Team All-Region and First-Team All-District
She currently has 151 over-the-fence home runs in her high school career plus two in-the-park home runs.
“If only we knew how much time, tough seasons and long nights she has been through to get here,” Rooney said. “Today is not just a celebration of her signing, but of years of hard work and dedication and unwavering commitment. Watching her grow as an athlete and a person has been a privilege and I am beyond proud to see her take the next step in this journey.”
Although this is a new journey for Walker in her softball career, she holds on to the memories made from her start at only six years old.
“It’s been a lot of work,” Walker said. “It’s not easy to do something like this and you have to put in the time and dedication to be able to be the best. Even in a small school, don’t ever let any say you can’t do it, because you definitely can.”