Menu
Bison 'spark plug' to join Chadron St. softball program
In Nebraska high school softball, McCook's Amanda Einspahr epitomizes the phrase: "Big things come in small packages."
Einspahr was a spark plug on the Bison team during her prep career. Her hard work and hustle have paid off with her acceptance of a softball scholarship to Chadron State College.
Amanda is the daughter of Terry and Lisa Einspahr of McCook. She is a senior at McCook High School, and in addition to softball, she plans to complete her fourth year of track and field for the Bison girls team next spring. Einspahr also played basketball her freshman and junior seasons.
Einspahr is not physically imposing on the softball diamond. She stands five feet tall, "Give or take a little," Amanda said. But McCook softball fans and opponents probably easily pick her out on the field.
Going full-speed
Perpetual motion and hustle might be the best description of Einspahr's game. She would be the first player out of the dugout, the first player sprinting to her position at catcher or the infield, the first player sprinting back to the dugout. She sprints to back up her fellow infielders between each pitch, and she was a thorn in the side of Bison opponents with her speed on the base paths.
Amanda was asked if she runs full-speed in everything she does, like heading to the breakfast table at home, or at school in between classes?
"Only to things that I'm excited to be at," she said.
Einspahr hit .400 for the Bison last fall, scoring 39 runs with 14 stolen bases and 10 runs batted in. Amanda holds McCook softball school records for runs scored in a career, with 118, and runs scored in a single season, 39.
She lettered in softball all four years of her high school career, and she was twice named to the Omaha World Herald All-State second team.
McCook head softball coach Jason Cochran said Einspahr got noticed foremost by her hustle on the field. He said when Amanda earned all-state honors, there was just player selected that played for a school west of Grand Island.
"Everybody knows her because when they see her hustle in and hustle out and give everything she's got, it sticks in their mind," Cochran said.
Tough act to follow
Cochran will no doubt use Einspahr as an example for future McCook softball players to emulate. Cochran said he would talk to college recruiters and coaches about outstanding hitters and players on his team, and they would usually want to talk about Einspahr and her hustle.
"You try to inform your kids that what they see, everybody can do the same thing," Cochran said. "She's got the hustle, but it's more her heart. In a small girl, that heart's huge. If everyone would provide that hustle like her, they'd all be looked at by more schools. Trying to get them to realize that, and trying to get them to do that -- there's only one that does that, and she's the one. She give you everything every day.
"I've read so many books over the off-season, and it keeps saying, 'Do you have a kid or kids that give 100 percent every day? You have kids that give 80, 90 percent every day, but do you have a kid that gives 100 percent? If you do, they're special, and that's Amanda. She is going to be very hard to replace. She did an awesome job. The heart and hustle, you can't replace that."
Einspahr will receive a scholarship financial package that will cover partial tuition and expenses at Chadron State. She will likely compete at second base, with a chance to crack the lineup in her 2011-12 freshman season.
Nebraska-Kearney and McCook Community College also sought Einspahr's softball services, but she decided on the northwest Nebraska school for several reasons.
"I really liked their coach (Rob Stack), and he did a lot to get me there. I played on their field at districts (in 2009), I really loved their field (McCook won the district tournament played in snowy, cold conditions at Chadron in October 2009 during Einspahr's junior season). It was cold, but the field's really nice.
"The school, I can get what I want to go into."
Einspahr hopes to become a teacher or to work in the physical education, health sciences field, with coaching softball part of her future plans.
'Miss Hustle'
There's little doubt what the answer would be when Amanda was asked about the strengths of her softball game.
"Probably just hustling," she said. "Making sure I give a full effort, even if I'm having an off-day, keep trying."
Miss Hustle said she won't be intimidated by taking a step up to face tougher college pitchers, and playing against girls with several years of college experience.
"I'm not worried about, 'This girl's a senior in college.' I'm going to look at them like any other competition I've played, and hopefully not be intimidated by thinking they are better," she said.
Einspahr said the Chadron State coach watched her play in districts the past two years, and at a summer camp last year. Her effort made a big impression, and helped to continue her softball future.
"When I met with him, he said that's the main reason (she was recruited)," Einspahr said, "that I might not be the best (player) out there, but just my attitude and my hustle and effort, that's something he wants on the team. That's a spark plug, that's how he put it."
Passion for softball starts young
Einspahr has a passion for softball that started at a very young age. Amanda said she started playing when she was in kindergarten, participating in the local YMCA leagues. She later competed on a McCook 10-Under age group traveling team. older sister Jessica, a former standout softball player for the Bison, was probably most responsible for getting Amanda involved in the sport.
"I grew up with (softball), watching my sister play," Amanda said. "I just fell in love with the game -- I don't know how to explain it. I just have a passion for the game and competing in softball."
A long way from home
Chadron State is located in the extreme northwest part of the Cornhusker State, north of Alliance and Scottsbluff, and approximately a 300-mile drive from McCook. Einspahr was asked how she would cope being so far away from home?
"I don't really want to deal with the drive," she said. "I'm hoping my parents can come up and watch some games. Hopefully I don't get too homesick."
Coach Cochran said he thought Einspahr would have loved to play catcher in college, but her small size might have been a drawback in the college game. But the Bison coach knows Amanda would have given that her best shot.
"She would battle against the biggest," Cochran said. "Great kid, great family. Just very hard to replace, just the fire she brings."
Be warned, Chadron State, McCook's softball 'spark plug' is headed your way next fall.