Moses Lake High School senior Taylor Hofheins signed her commitment to play softball next season at Whitworth University in Spokane. Hofheins capped off a busy couple of weeks, graduating last Friday and extending her softball career this week.

Hofheins said she’s known since her junior year she wanted to attend Whitworth University, but didn’t start thinking about playing softball in college until recently.

“As I’m getting into my senior year, I started thinking I kind of wanted to continue playing, but I still wanted to go to Whitworth,” Hofheins said.

She said she reached out to the Whitworth head coach, who watched her play in a tournament a few weeks ago and called to offer her a spot shortly after.

After missing her junior season due to injury and playing an abbreviated season this spring, Hofheins said she didn’t really have a lot of stats to share. She said she’s very appreciative of the Whitworth program giving her a chance.

Hofheins said it might be trying balancing her work in the classroom with athletics as she tries to push herself as much as possible in school. But, she said hopefully that commitment and drive can carry over to the softball field and make balancing the two a bit easier.

Hofheins said being a Moses Lake Chief has meant a lot to her, playing for her dad, Moses Lake head softball coach Mike Hofheins.

“This program has been really special to me because of my dad and now my sister entering the program, so it’s cool I get to represent Moses Lake High School at Whitworth now,” she said.

Mike Hofheins said he’d have to take a moment to pinch himself at times this season getting the opportunity to coach two of his daughters on the field. He said it can’t be easy being the coach’s daughter, but Taylor handled it well.

“I’m just proud of what she does in the classroom and who she is as a person,” Mike Hofheins said.