2026 Softball Roster
Roster
C/UT
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF/INF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball1B/P
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballRHP
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
Jersey Number 19
Kelsey Hoekstra
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Position:
- 1B/P
- Bat/Throw:
- R/R
- Hometown:
- Overland Park, Kan.
- High School:
- Shawnee Mission North
- Major:
- Undeclared
SOPHOMORE (2026)
FRESHMAN (2025) - Game-By-Game Stats
AROUND THE BASES:
PERSONAL:
Hoekstra On Choosing Rutgers: "I choose Rutgers because of the resources the school has both academically and athletically."
Head Coach Kristen Butler on Hoekstra: ""Kelsey is a pitcher who also hits from the left side. She has played travel ball at a very high level and will bring a lot of experience to the team. She is a threat in the circle and at the plate! Welcome to the Scarlet Knights family!"
KNOW YOUR KNIGHTS
Nickname: hokeydoke
One word to describe your Coach: Intelligent
Favorite Rutgers athlete, past or present: Isiah Pacheco
Best player ever competed against: NiJaree Canady
Major: Criminology
I chose my major because: I want to see the mind of a criminal and see why they do what they do
Favorite place to hang out on campus: Locker room
The person I most admire is and why: My sister Siera. She got me into playing softball and grew up watching her play and it made me want to play
If I wasn’t playing softball, I’d be: Hanging with my friends more
Favorite professional athlete: Travis Kelce
Favorite professional sports team: Chiefs
One word to describe myself on the field: Entertaining
One word to describe myself off the field: Goofy
Person who had greatest influence on my athletics career: My dad
I started playing my sport because…: I had to guess play for my sister softball team when I was 8 years old and ended up recalling liking it so I got on a team and went on from there
I chose Rutgers because…: They have great opportunities and resources academic and athletic wise and also grateful for the coaching staff at Rutgers
Favorite cereal: Honey Bunches of oats
The movie I have watched the most in my lifetime is: Star Wars
The best actor/actress to play me in a movie is…: Melissa McCarthy
Favorite musician/group: Queen
The first song I knew all the words to is: ABCs
If I could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, I would win a gold medal at: Pickleball
Famous people I have met include: Sky Moore
Rituals I have before, during or after a game are: Don't step on the white chock line
Favorite all-time gift received: Heater for my room
Pets I had growing up were: 2 dog Yorky and a Morky
My favorite Halloween costume growing up was: Jessie from Toy Story
The place in the world I would most like to visit is: Russia
The website I visit most often is: TikTok
My favorite teacher was/is: Mr.Dial my 5th grade teacher
The quote that most resonates with me is: Live life on edge
If my life was a book, the title would be: Trust the Process
If I could choose any color when buying a new car it would be: Lime Green
My spirit animal is: Bird
One thing on my bucket list is:To travel out of the country
Phone app you cannot live without: tiktok
- Big Ten Pitcher Of The Week (2/9)
- NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team (2/9)
- Held down a 1.24 ERA with two starts and three appearances tossing 11.1 innings with 10 strikeouts while hitting .273 with three hits, two runs and her first career home run vs. No. 19 Mississippi State at The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament (2/13-15)
- Went 2-0 in the circle with a no-hitter and 0.60 ERA and batted .556 with three runs and three RBIs in leading Rutgers to a 3-2 opening weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic (2/6-8)
- Posted a run in RU's first win over Notre Dame since 2012 in the 6-4 victory (2/8)
- Tossed four scoreless innings with two RBIs and two runs scored in a 11-3 six-inning run rule victory over South Alabama (2/7)
- No-hitter vs. NCCU behind career-high nine strikeouts in 5-0 season opening wn at the NFCA Leadoff Classic (2/6)
FRESHMAN (2025) - Game-By-Game Stats
- Went 6-11 with 38 strikeouts in 82.2 innings in the circlewin
- Collected four or more strikeouts in five games
- Made 31 at-bats with seven hits, three RBIs and two runs scored
- Collected the victory to take the series from Illinois going 2.0 innings in a 4-1 win over Illinois (4/27)
- Gave up only one hit in four innings in the series opener with Northwestern (4/18)
- Tossed 3.0 innings with no runs and no hits for the victory in a 9-1 midweek contest versus Wagner (3/11)
- Hit 2-for-2 with two RBIs, a double and run scored in a 8-0 run rule victory over host George State at the Bob Heck Memorial Tournament (3/9)
- Career-high five strikeouts in 6-4 complete game victory over UC-Riverside at the Mary Nutter Invitational (2/22)
- Allowed no runs and three hits in five innings of work in a 7-0 victory over host East Texas A&M at the Lion Invitational (2/14)
- Logged four strikeouts in contests with Iowa (5/2), Portland State (3/19)East Texas A&M (2/14) and Liberty (2/8)
AROUND THE BASES:
- Pitcher of the Year Sunflower League (2023)
- First Team All-State (2023 & 2022)
- All-Sunflower First Team Honors (2023, 2022 & 2021)
- State quarterfinalist helping team to 20-2 record (2023)
- Picked up 202 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched with a 1.00 ERA and hit .476 with 21 runs (2023)
- Shawnee Mission North MVP (2023)
- Second Team All-State (2021)
- Shawnee Mission North Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
PERSONAL:
- Daughter of Paul and Anita Hoekstra
- Dad played baseball and mom played basketball and softball at Ottawa University in Kansas
- Has one sister, Siera
- Plans to major in criminal justice with a career as a criminologist
Hoekstra On Choosing Rutgers: "I choose Rutgers because of the resources the school has both academically and athletically."
Head Coach Kristen Butler on Hoekstra: ""Kelsey is a pitcher who also hits from the left side. She has played travel ball at a very high level and will bring a lot of experience to the team. She is a threat in the circle and at the plate! Welcome to the Scarlet Knights family!"
KNOW YOUR KNIGHTS
Nickname: hokeydoke
One word to describe your Coach: Intelligent
Favorite Rutgers athlete, past or present: Isiah Pacheco
Best player ever competed against: NiJaree Canady
Major: Criminology
I chose my major because: I want to see the mind of a criminal and see why they do what they do
Favorite place to hang out on campus: Locker room
The person I most admire is and why: My sister Siera. She got me into playing softball and grew up watching her play and it made me want to play
If I wasn’t playing softball, I’d be: Hanging with my friends more
Favorite professional athlete: Travis Kelce
Favorite professional sports team: Chiefs
One word to describe myself on the field: Entertaining
One word to describe myself off the field: Goofy
Person who had greatest influence on my athletics career: My dad
I started playing my sport because…: I had to guess play for my sister softball team when I was 8 years old and ended up recalling liking it so I got on a team and went on from there
I chose Rutgers because…: They have great opportunities and resources academic and athletic wise and also grateful for the coaching staff at Rutgers
Favorite cereal: Honey Bunches of oats
The movie I have watched the most in my lifetime is: Star Wars
The best actor/actress to play me in a movie is…: Melissa McCarthy
Favorite musician/group: Queen
The first song I knew all the words to is: ABCs
If I could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, I would win a gold medal at: Pickleball
Famous people I have met include: Sky Moore
Rituals I have before, during or after a game are: Don't step on the white chock line
Favorite all-time gift received: Heater for my room
Pets I had growing up were: 2 dog Yorky and a Morky
My favorite Halloween costume growing up was: Jessie from Toy Story
The place in the world I would most like to visit is: Russia
The website I visit most often is: TikTok
My favorite teacher was/is: Mr.Dial my 5th grade teacher
The quote that most resonates with me is: Live life on edge
If my life was a book, the title would be: Trust the Process
If I could choose any color when buying a new car it would be: Lime Green
My spirit animal is: Bird
One thing on my bucket list is:To travel out of the country
Phone app you cannot live without: tiktok
2025 Rutgers Athletics Hall Of Fame Induction
Tuesday, December 16
Rutgers Athletics Launches the Athletic Excellence Fund
Monday, October 06
2025 Rutgers Softball Big Ten Highlights
Friday, August 08
R Fund, Knights of the Raritan are YouKnighted | Million Dollar Match
Friday, February 28
