Chapin grad Kristin Fifield shines for Grand Canyon University softball
All Kristin Fifield knows is winning and finding ways to be a leader.
It's what has driven her to be the best softball player and student she can be. The senior outfielder at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and former Chapin High star has become an established Division I softball player for a winning program, which is headed to Los Angeles to begin the NCAA Tournament on Friday against UCLA.
Fifield has seen a steady upswing in her career for GCU, which won the Western Athletic Conference for the second straight year. But it's this year which has really stood out for Fifield.
Fifield leads the nation in RBI with 85 in 57 games for the 46-11 Lopes. She's collected all those RBI while batting anywhere from first to fourth in the lineup and behind 41 extra base hits, including 21 homers.
"I've just stayed within myself through my time here," Fifield said. "I realize you can't stress about things, this game is about failure many times and you just have to learn to handle it and come back strong. I feel like I've grown so much since my freshman year in leadership-type positions. I've had great teammates and coaches, who have helped get me to a good spot."
Fifield is a 2019 Chapin graduate, helped the Huskies to a Region I-5A final appearance and a Region I-5A semifinal showing. Her first three years at GCU were solid. In the COVID shortened 2020 season, she hit .355, in 2021 she hit seven homers and last year as a junior, she had a slugging percentage of .673.
"This year I've hit in different positions in the lineup and that's fine. I like that because you can't get too comfortable in one spot," Fifield said. "Wherever I am in the lineup, I try to be consistent and I have a great group of teammates around me, who have helped me so much. I owe so much to my teammates."
Fifield and her teammates are back in Los Angeles for the second straight year and look to erase the memory of last year's 0-2 mark in the NCAA Tourney.
"This year's team has been about calmness and just comes to ready to play," Fifield said. "Winning back-to-back back WAC titles has been amazing because it shows how hard we've worked. We have a great lineup of offensive players. We've grown a great deal since last year's NCAA Tournament. I think last year we were in awe of the UCLA name. This year I don't see that as part of us, we're going to give it our best shot."
Fifield is already an owner of an undergraduate degree in Psychology and is working on her Master's in Elementary Education. She'll use her extra COVID year of eligibility and play next season for GCU and perhaps a career in pro softball awaits. But the future can wait, Fifield wants to enjoy her time at GCU, which includes the support of her family, including parents Vicki and Phillip and sister Kaitlin, who herself was a star pitcher at Chapin and pitched for UTEP.
"My family has been an amazing support system," Fifield said. "I wouldn’t be here where I am at without them. I've been fortunate that my parents have been to so many games because of the proximity to El Paso, that's not an opportunity every player gets."
"She's a phenomenal athlete," said Chapin softball coach Kevin Mills, who coached Fifield in high school. "But she's a great person and that's why she's so successful. Kristin has a great attitude and loves to come back and talk to the kids here at Chapin and encourage them. She enjoys giving back to the game."
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Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Chapin grad Kristin Fifield shines for Grand Canyon softball
