Stover determined to make the most of final season with Rural softball

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

If circumstances were different, Washburn Rural softball coach Liz Stover would probably be content to spend her entire coaching career with the Junior Blues.

Washburn Rural softball coach Liz Stover talks to seniors Alyssa Mastin (5) and Chloe Carlgren (7) during Tuesday's 14-0, 15-0 doubleheader Centennial League sweep over Emporia. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]

But as it is, all of Stover's focus this spring is on cherishing every moment of what will be her final season with her Rural team.  

"This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make,'' said Stover, who has accepled a teaching position at Shawnee Mission South for the 2023-2024 school year. "I love this program and the reason I'm leaving is just for family.

"I grew up in Olathe. I went to Olathe Northwest, my family still lives in Olathe and my fiance teaches in Shawnee Mission now, so this is just to be a little bit closer to everybody.''

Stover, who is planning a June wedding, took over as Washburn Rural's coach last season and led the Junior Blues to a 23-2 record and a second-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament.

The 2022 season was Stover's first as a head coach and she said she realizes now how fortunate she was to have the opportunity to coach the tradition-rich Washburn Rural program.

"I don't know if I knew to appreciate how good I had it, so right now I really am just trying to enjoy everything as much as I can,'' Stover said. 

Returning a strong nucleus from last year's team, Rural is off to a 4-0 start this spring, with doubleheader Centennial League sweeps over two-time defending state champ Topeka High and Emporia.

Stover had the unenviable task of telling her team after the season-opening Topeka High games that this would be her final season at Rural.

"The timing when I told them, right after our first games, that was not ideal by any means, but they really seemed to take it in stride and I think our seniors have been really helpful with that,'' Stover said. 

"This is so tough. I love this group of kids and right now I'm just trying to embrace every moment.''

Washburn Rural is on the short list of top 6A contenders for this year's state title and Stover said all of her team's attention is on that goal.

"We really are taking it one game at a time,'' she said. "They know that we've got a really good group here and we're working towards our goal at the end of the season, which is to take home a state championship.''