By Ken Hansard
Coach Tyler Hampton is in his eighth season at the helm for the Clearwater Indians. Hampton and his Lady Indians have had some notable runs in the past three seasons, including two AVCTL Division IV championships, three regional championships, and two fourth place finishes at state. Last season, Clearwater finished with a 20-8 record, losing a 2-1 heartbreaker at state to eventual champion Wamego in an epic 17-inning battle.
Hampton lost two key starters from last year’s squad but returns a very talented host of highly decorated players who are off to a 4-0 to start this season. The Indians return three first-team all-state players in senior shortstop Kaylee Hampton, junior pitcher Trista Welty, and junior centerfielder Madi Clevenger. They also have five other returners who won post-season honors ranging from all-state mentions to all-metro and all-league in senior Camryn Carlson, juniors Kaylynn Konkel and Taylor Nielson, and sophomores Makena Hampton and Liv Miller
The Indians’ success has not come easy, but instead is predicated on hard work and focus on detail, “We expect to be competitive every time we take the field,” Hampton said. “We have a lot of talented players that put in a lot of work year-round. We have high expectations and strive for consistency that leads to success. We talk a lot about being ‘ruthlessly efficient’ with our fundamentals.”
Every softball fan knows that success starts with pitching, and to that end, Hampton considers the Indians to be set, “It all starts in the circle in softball. We are fortunate to return both of our starters from last season in Trista Welty and Kaylynn Konkel.”
In the end, Hampton understands the rigors of the season and what it takes to succeed. “As long as we maximize our work ethic, talent, and abilities, our season will be successful and one that we can be proud of.”
