2025 Senior Spotlight: Audrie Kohl, Missouri Valley
Missouri Valley graduate Audrie Kohl talks about her past season and reflects upon her career in the Lady Reds’ uniform.
1) You grew up playing a softball / Why, how did this sport develop into your favorite sport
I started playing club when I was 10 years old, spending every weekend, early morning, and late nights playing in tournaments. I was very fortunate to play on an amazing team, which started my love for the sport. I loved the community it brought, friendships that I gained, and the lessons that I was able to learn. I think because of these things, but also the sport itself, it developed into my favorite and I knew it was something that I was going to want to focus on.
2) Your pitching Coaches / Talk about what they have meant to you to reach this point of your career ( Include Club Coaches )
I have had many coaches throughout my career and I am grateful for each and everyone of them. All my coaches taught me something new and showed me a different aspect of the sport. These coaches not only coached me, but believed in me and supported me so I was able to get to this point.
Pitching Coaches: Kara Rosanke, Ann Naidas
Club Coaches: Adam Burdorf, Korey Olsen, Clay Christian, Bree Dennis, Brock Partlow, Jason Kohl, Ron Weis
3) When you entered high school play for your first game (8th grade), you remember the emotions (nerves, excitement)
I remember being very nervous, as any 8th grader would be. As an 8th grader, I was put on varsity and started in the outfield. This experience was great looking back on it, but at the moment I was nervous and didn’t want to mess something up. Throughout the season, I gained confidence in the outfield and was then able to get some more time on the mound. This brought many more nerves, but over just the short time, I felt like I had already grown so much. As an 8th graders, I had to learn how Coach Barker worked through counts, what worked for me and what didn’t, and to begin to trust the girls behind me. Although I was very nervous, I knew I just needed to execute and pitch like I knew how.
4) Who was the older HS pitcher ahead of you / Who did you step in an replace
When I was an 8th grader, the varsity pitcher at the time was Olivia Haynes. My first season, we split a lot of the games, because we both had really different pitching styles. I think we both learned a lot from this experience and overall, I am very grateful for that.
5) Is there any game (past 5 years) stands out / provides best memory / Where have you seen your biggest improvement:
My most memorable game was our state qualifying game (Regional Finla, 2023) during my sophomore year. This was obviously a very big game for us, but I remember before we were all calm and just treating it like any other game. The game went really well, and during the 7th inning I felt like I could barely feel anything in my body. After the last strikeout, getting to hug all my teammates, see the community cheering us on, and seeing Coach Barker’s smile, everything in that moment was awesome.
6) How much do you think you have grown as a player (from 8th grade to Senior Year):
I can’t even measure my growth throughout my career. As an 8th grader, I was nervous, scared, and didn’t even trust myself. Through many bullpens, practices, conservations, and learning points, I was able to start taking some pressure off myself, and allow others to do their jobs. I know that I have learned many things through these five years including not only trusting myself, but trusting my teammates and coaches. At the end of it, I was able to learn that I can’t put everything on me, and that it’s a team sport. I am very grateful for all the support and guidance that my coaches and teammates provided me and for helping me learn these things.
7) Your favorite place to be a) Batters Box with winning runs in scoring position; or b) Pitching Circle, opponents have runners in scoring position, and you have the ball / Why??
Out of these options, my favorite would be in the pitching circle! I love being in tense situations, although they can get stressful, I feel that they can teach me so well. I know in this specific situation, I have to trust the pitches that I am throwing and trust my defense behind me. Being able to see my coaches and teammates in the dugout after getting out of this get so excited is what makes it so rewarding!
8) Your Favorite place – You like the Batters Box or Pitching Circle more / Why
I love both the mound and the batters box! As a pitcher, I have a sense of control of the game, which is something I really like. With a team like ours, I never feel alone in the circle, I know all the girls behind me are supporting me and cheering me on, and I do the same for them! I also love being in the batters box, because I like being able to take pressure off myself on the mound by scoring runs or getting on base.
9) School Records / What are you most proud of / which one did you want the most / what was it like when your mom handed out signs for milestone strikeouts
I am very proud of all the records that I have broken, and feel that they show what hard work and dedication to a sport can give you. Coming into high school, I knew that I was wanting to chase the strikeout record. I think after my sophomore season, I knew that this was going to be something that I could accomplish if I continued to work for it. On the other hand, with the homerun record, I didn’t know that I was going to have a chance to break this record. This wasn’t something that I was really counting because coming in, I wasn’t the strongest hitter, so throughout the years, that was something that I had to work on.
One of my favorite things about getting these different milestones was definitely my mom handing out the signs to all our fans. When I hit 100 strikeouts, I didn’t even know that I was there and the signs were a complete surprise. From then, she continued to make them for each milestone I hit, so it kind of became a tradition.
10) High School, Last 5 years – Your Most Memorable Moment / Why:
I can’t pick something specific! Throughout the last five years, I have grown so much as a person, player, and teammate. There have been many ups and many downs since I have joined this program, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I am grateful for the 6 a.m. practices, late night bus rides, sleepovers, team dinners, front toss homerun contests, handshakes, traditions, big games, tournament days, subway lunches, dairy den nights, flour and whipped cream nights, but most importantly for the people I have met through this journey. I will never forget any of the memories I have made while being a Lady Red.
11) What are you most looking forward to at College / What will be your Biggest adjustment (College Major, please)
College: Northwestern College, Orange City. Major: Management, Marketing.
12) Additional Comments, Audrie Kohl
I couldn’t have had this much success without all the amazing people in my life. I would like to thank my family, including my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for the never-ending support they have poured into this journey. I am very grateful for all the coaches along my journey that taught, guided, and believed in me. I would also like to thank this amazing community that I have been blessed to be a part of for supporting not only this program, but each and everyone of our girls a part of it. THANK YOU, to everyone who has been a part of this journey with me, I am so incredibly grateful!
Missouri Valley Coach Rick Barker’s reflections on being able to coach/mentor Audrie Kohl:
Audrie Kohl has been the face of our program for the past five seasons, starting as an 8th grader and growing into a leader who helped transform Missouri Valley softball. When she joined us, we were coming off a 7–22 season (2021). By her sophomore year, we were at the state tournament (2023), and this past season we finished 29–7. She’s been a key part of 104 team wins, with 90 of those as the winning pitcher. Her impact goes far beyond stats — she helped shift the culture and raise expectations for what this program could be.
Audrie has always been a fierce competitor. In her early years, that drive could sometimes come across as tunnel vision — but as she matured, she found the balance between intensity and team awareness. By her junior and senior seasons, she had a true game face: focused, composed, and confident — while also being supportive and steady in the dugout. She learned when to take control and when to pick up the people around her.
There’s no question Audrie was a leader. Early in her career, she led mostly through her performance and competitiveness. But as she matured, she became more vocal, more supportive, and more aware of what her teammates needed from her. She grew into a steady, reliable presence, someone whom younger players looked up to, and someone the team could count on during big moments. Her leadership showed in how she carried herself and how she lifted up those around her.
Being in the dugout with Audrie these last five years has been a privilege. She came in as an 8th grader with a ton of talent, and over time, she grew into a mature, team-focused leader. Her development as a player and as a person has been incredible to watch. She helped change the direction of this program, not just with her record-setting play, but with the example she set. Her legacy here will be felt for years to come
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MVHS Senior, Audrie Kohl,
School Records – thru 2025
Career strikeouts – 1,064
Single-season home runs – 10
Career home runs – 28
Single-season RBIs – 41
Coach Barker states, “She was also a major contributor to our team's single-season home run record, hitting 10 herself. Her stats tell the story of a player who not only performed, but set the standard.”
Career offensive stats:
Batting Avg: .373
On-Base Pct.: .467
Slugging Pct.: .671
Home Runs: 28
Career pitching stats:
Wins: 90
Opponent’s On-Base Pct.: .190
Strikeouts: 1,064 strikeouts
ERA: 2.03
