2026 Softball Roster
Roster

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
FRESHMAN (2025) - Game-By-Game Stats
AROUND THE BASES:
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
- Went 6-11 with 38 strikeouts in 82.2 innings in the circle
- 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)
- 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
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
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