The Game Keeps Calling Her Back

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Kylee Lahners never expected baseball to become such a major part of her life.

Growing up, softball was the sport that shaped most of her athletic career. She became an All-American at the University of Washington, built a professional softball career and spent years competing at a high level before baseball ever seriously entered the picture.

That changed in 2018 when one of her professional softball teammates, Brittany Gomez, encouraged her to try out for the USA Women’s Baseball Team.

“Baseball entered my life in 2018 when I was 25 years old and I went out to Cary, NC for the USA Women’s trials. This was the first time in my life that I had played on a baseball field, with the final goal in mind to be able to wear USA across my chest again but this time with baseball not softball. Things started to feel like home once I competed with the team in the World Cup later that year in Florida. My teammates and coaching staff took me in with open arms and I became part of the fam pretty quick. Little did I know that this was the start of being apart of the tight nit women’s baseball community that I had no idea existed.”

At the time, Lahners thought her playing career might already be winding down. The professional softball team she had been playing for folded, and like many athletes leaving college sports behind, she suddenly found herself trying to figure out what came next.

“The first time was when I was 24 years old and the professional softball team I was playing for decided to fold and not fund us anymore. I thought my playing days were over until I made the decision to try out for the USA women’s baseball team in 2018. Been fortunate enough to be competing with Team USA since then, but felt like my playing days were coming to end. I’m 33 years old and I have a beautiful wife and a handsome 1.5 year old son who keeps pushing me to lace my cleats up. So when the announcement of the WPBL hit, it was a no brainer. I love being around my teammates and love to compete but more importantly I absolutely love seeing my family in the stands!”

Even with a long softball background, Lahners said baseball challenged her in ways she did not fully expect. From the outside, the sports often look interchangeable. After playing both, she sees the differences everywhere.

“The biggest adjustment is timing. Your internal clock is all jacked up going from softball to baseball. From pitching, to size of field, to the distance of the bases and to how the play develops all play a factor with your internal clock. I really focus on making my adjustments as soon as I can, whether that is in the box or from one ground ball to the other. The quicker I can do that in a game or practice, the quicker I will find success. Your mindset is everything! Not only in baseball but in life as well.”

At the same time, parts of her softball identity still remain central to the way she approaches baseball. Lahners built a reputation as a power hitter long before joining women’s baseball and still carries that mentality with her now.

“I approach the game of baseball the same way I did with softball. Power hitting is still a big part of my identity as a player, I never liked running but more so now since running the bases are even harder in baseball being so far apart. My goal every time I come to the plate is to not get cheated and hit everything hard. Keep it simple and drive the baseball.”

Her confidence in baseball also continued growing through international competition with Team USA. During the 2019 Pan-American Championships, Lahners became one of the tournament’s most productive hitters, something she said changed the way she viewed her own potential in the sport.

“That tournament did change the way I viewed my potential in baseball. It gave me that sense of confidence that I can also play baseball at a high level even though I got a much later start with the sport. It requires the same strong mindset and being able to learn and move on from your failures just like softball.”

By then, life looked different. Lahners was balancing baseball alongside coaching, marriage and motherhood. She said becoming a mother changed the way she viewed both sports and life.

“Motherhood has changed my outlook on sports and competition in a couple ways. It has made me look at the bigger picture of sports and truly understand how amazing and important every opportunity that we are given is. It has also made me realize how important it is ‘to be where my feet are’ and live in the moment, because the time to hang your cleats up can be just around the corner without you even knowing it.”

That perspective also shapes the way she views this inaugural WPBL season. Lahners was selected third overall by New York in the league’s first draft, a moment she described as surreal considering how different her path into baseball looked compared to many other players in the sport.

“Being drafted third overall by New York was such an unforgettable moment, especially getting to share it with my family and friends. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to go that high, so just hearing my name called in the first round was incredibly exciting. I think the quieter moment came afterward, when everything started to sink in and I realized this was real. Never in my life would I have imagined hearing my name called in two different professional drafts at different stages of my life. It was surreal, and its a moment I’ll always be grateful for.”

For Lahners, part of the excitement surrounding the WPBL comes from what the league could mean for younger generations of players growing up with opportunities many women in baseball never had before.

“I hope that young girls feel inspired. I would hope that they feel like they now have a place where they can strive to get to one day. This league will give young girls a dream that they can hopefully fulfill one day and continue to inspire the next generation.”

Her son Liam will grow up during a time when women’s professional baseball exists again, something Lahners said still feels difficult to fully process sometimes.

“Its pretty cool that he will be growing up when there is a women’s professional league. As a kid we always look up to our parents and hope that one day we can be like them in some way. He will be able to look back when he is older and see how I went about my business on the ball field and take some of that into his life. I hope it sticks around as long enough so he can understand how much this league means, but also so he can see that you can truly do whatever you want in life, no matter how old you are as long as you commit and believe! Plus he can tell all of his friends that his mom played in the WPBL and how cool she is.”

Even after years of competition across softball, baseball and international tournaments, Lahners said one of the things that still matters most to her is simply being a good teammate.

“Being a great teammate is one of the most important things to me. When I’m done playing, I hope people remember not only the way I played the game, but the kind of teammate I was. To me, being a great teammate means always putting the team first, no matter what. I could go 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, but if my teammates succeed and we find a way to win, that’s what matters most. I love pouring into the people around me and being their biggest supporter. I can genuinely say I’m always happy to see my teammates succeed. Jealousy has never had a place in the way I approach this game or my relationships with my teammates.”

When her playing career eventually ends, Lahners said she hopes people remember the joy and passion she brought into the game every day she stepped onto the field.

“When I finally call it quits, I hope that people can remember how much I loved competing and how much joy I brought to the ballpark. I hope they saw someone who played every pitch with passion, resilience and gratitude. More than anything, I want to be remembered as someone who made the people around me better. A great teammate, a positive presence and someone who truly enjoyed every moment on and off the field.”

Photo credits: USA Baseball & Kylee Lahners