Plenty of players are excited to start the 2025 Softball season. This year, we have a new head coach, Erin Kerkhoff, and a new conference, with the Six Rivers East and West combining.
Erin Kerkhoff is a returning alumnus, having graduated in 1996. Erin knows softball pretty well. She was a starting catcher, earning First Team All-Conference all four years of high school. Erin also received recognition from the area and state. Her team awards consisted of team MVP her freshman, junior, and senior years, golden glove her sophomore year, and team captain her senior year.
Erin was hesitant about taking over as head coach when the position opened three years ago. At the time, in 2023, it was her son Ethan Kerkhoff’s senior year, and Erin did not want to miss watching him play baseball. Her daughter, Alayna Kerkhoff, wasn’t in high school yet. The only experience Erin had with coaching was at the youth level, so when Coach Mark Seigert took the head position, Erin agreed to be an assistant coach. In the two years Erin was an assistant coach, she learned a lot from the team and the coaching staff.
Something that is also new this year is the change in the conference structure. In 2025, East and West combined into one big conference. There are a total of 18 conference games and a few non-conference games. With the bigger conference comes some advantages and disadvantages. A disadvantage is that having four games a week will be tough and draining on the players’ bodies. If there is any bad weather, and with so many games, it could be hard to reschedule any games that get delayed. Another disadvantage with so many games will be not a lot of days to practice. “However, I believe our team’s preparation leading up to our intense schedule has us ready,” said Coach Kerkhoff.
The advantages outweigh the disadvantages; with a lot of games comes a lot of time to improve and get better. “I think pitching will be a huge advantage for us, as we have two solid pitchers who can step up at any time. Not all teams in this conference can say that,” said Coach Kerkhoff. This year we have seven seniors on the team who show a lot of leadership skills. Not only do seniors show leadership, but any grade could step up and take a huge leadership role, too.
While interviewing Coach Erin Kerkhoff, I asked her the question, “Why did you take over as head coach of the PC Softball program? Her reply was too good not to share in full.
“Ball has always been a huge part of my life. I credit that to my amazing parents. When I was little, most of our summer evenings were spent playing ball in our gravel yard–my dad pitching to my siblings and me. My dad was all-time pitcher, my mom was all-time outfielder, and we would play until we couldn’t see the ball anymore! My love for the game grew from there, thanks to some amazing coaches. I can thank my youth rec coach, Randy Gabel, for convincing me to try catching when we finally switched from slowpitch to fastpitch in seventh grade. My high school coaches, Terry Downs and Jane Briehl, also gave me an incredible high school softball experience that deepened my passion for the sport. I had some really great coaches growing up– amazing role models and mentors to prepare me for this opportunity. So, after coaching at the youth level for five years, I decided to take over as the head coach to give back and share my passion and knowledge for the game I love. I’ve coached many of these girls since they were very little, and I’ve seen their dedication and hard work firsthand. I wanted to continue to be a mentor for them, helping them grow not just as players but as young adults. Coach and player relationships are so special, and I’m looking forward to making a positive impact in this role. I hope one day, the girls are telling others how much they loved their high school softball experience as much as I loved mine. Our two communities, Potosi and Cassville, are raising some talented young ladies, and I’m very excited for the growth in not only our high school teams, but our youth teams as well!”