Highland senior commits to Kansas college

POCATELLO — Highland’s Katelyn Humphrys and her family have no ties to Kansas. In fact, before visiting the Bethel College campus in Newton, Kan., Humphrys had never been to the Sunflower State.

She will attend Bethel next year and play softball for the Threshers after signing her letter of intent on Friday.

Humphrys met the Bethel softball coaches at a softball tournament when she was just 14 years old. There was immediate and mutual interest, she said, and the two parties have kept in contact since. And when Humphrys lost her entire sophomore season to injury, the Bethel coaching staff stayed in contact throughout the surgery and recovery process — “They stuck with me for a long time,” she said.

That steadfast support is among the reasons Humphrys’ decision to move over 1,000 miles to play college softball was an easy one.

Bethel, she explained, will also allow her to leave for her sophomore year to go on an LDS mission without risk of losing her scholarship, and give her the opportunity to play first base and pitch.

“I’m so, so excited to be able to do that — that they’re allowing me to do all these things,” she said, adding that being able to pitch and hit wasn’t a requirement, but was definitely something she wanted. “I love all of it. I just wanted to be able to do everything — I didn’t want to be tied down to one thing.”

Humphrys said that there are some nerves, regarding her move to another state — one where she will have no family lifelines in the immediate vicinity. But, as her parents explained to EastIdahoSports.com, there are flights from Idaho Falls to Newton, Kan. — with a quick stop in Denver — that the family will be on somewhat regularly.

But Humphrys isn’t concerned about getting comfortable. During her two recruiting trips to the college, she met a lot of her teammates to-be, as well as come of the local boosters.

“I’m really not worried, because I’ve already met a ton of the girls … and a lot of the locals,” she said. “It will be really good, I’m super-excited.”

She also plans to go much further away than the midwest. Humphrys told EastIdahoSports.com that while she will not know where her mission will take her, she is hopeful it will require international travel, to “somewhere really crazy,” she said.

The Rams went 1-2 at the state softball tournament last year, but return a majority of its starters this year — losing just two seniors from last year’s squad. Highland is hopeful it will bring a trophy back to Pocatello in the spring.