“If you put me in softball, I’m quitting,” said Kenzie Lee when her mom first suggested she switch from baseball to softball. Lee started playing T-ball at just four years old, and from the beginning, she was hooked on the game. As she grew older, she noticed fewer and fewer girls sticking with baseball—but that never stopped her. Lee kept playing, not because it was easy, but because she loved it.
She began her baseball career in the YMCA youth sports league. Later, she joined the Fishers Mudsock recreational league, where she played until she aged out. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she stayed active by joining a travel baseball team. When she entered high school, Lee tried out for the HSE baseball team.
“During tryouts, I realized it was difficult to compete physically with the guys,” Lee admitted.
Even though she didn’t make the Royals baseball team, she didn’t let that stop her. Her mom once again suggested she consider trying softball.
“It was the closest sport to baseball,” Lee said.
One of the biggest challenges she faced in making the switch was adjusting to the pace of the game.
“To me, softball is slower than baseball, which was hard to adjust to,” she said. “But once I got adjusted, everything was mostly the same—other than the size of the ball.”
She also noticed differences in team culture. In baseball, players typically use short, encouraging words. In softball, however, the team cheers loudly and often from the dugout—something that took time to get used to.
Still, Lee hasn’t let go of her love for baseball. This summer, she’ll be playing in an all-girls baseball tournament in Reno, Nevada, through the organization Baseball For All. She’s already achieved some exciting milestones in both sports, including hitting home runs in both baseball and softball.
“I love playing baseball,” Lee said. “Being the only girl didn’t bother me. In fact, I loved being the only girl.”
