Hackett senior Lilly Oxford determined to be a repeat state champion

Lilly Oxford doesn’t need many reminders that, after winning the program’s first state title last season, Hackett’s softball team is now the hunted. She’s heard it from her coach on and off the field. Especially because her coach is also her dad, Jeff Oxford.

“He told us that we would have a target on our back and how we set the bar high last year, so we can’t just get confident and be like, ‘We’re the state champions, and now we’re going to (Class) 2A so we’re just going to win again,’” said Lilly Oxford, a senior second baseman and four-year starter. “We have to stay locked in and focused all the time and show up to practice every day ready to work, because it’s not going to come easy.

“Everybody’s always going to play their best game trying to beat us, which is good for competition, but sometimes it gets you nervous, like we are the state champions, we have to win now. But it’s been really fun.”

The Lady Hornets have largely responded to the challenge, putting together a 19-3 record and a fourth straight conference championship.

Now, they’re about to go for a state title repeat.

“I would probably say just staying focused, and sometimes I know that during the games or at practice, we won’t stay locked in the whole time,” Oxford said. “But just staying focused and working hard and knowing that we’re going to have to work just as hard as we did last year, if not harder, to make it to the finals.

“There’s some really good teams in 2A, especially going into state, so we’re just going to have to play our role and do our part.”

Oxford and five fellow seniors played their final home game on April 22, a 6-2 win against Lamar. She had two hits in the win and scored a run.

“I love being in the infield and getting to be a part of all the action for the most part,” Oxford said. “And with (Makenzie) Freeman as our pitcher, most of the balls get hit our way or my way on the right side of the field, so I get a lot of opportunities to make a bunch of plays and outs.”

Freeman is the Lady Hornets’ ace in the circle and a University of Tulsa signee who has more than 900 career strikeouts.

“Kenzie is the most hard-working pitcher you can even ask for,” Oxford said. “She shows up to practice every day, ready to work. … And just her working hard makes everybody else want to work hard.

“Everybody needs to be the best they can be for her because she’s been working hard this season, and she’s one of my best friends and it’s sad it’s coming to an end.”

Not only was Oxford part of last season’s Hackett state title softball squad, she also played libero on the Lady Hornet volleyball team that won state this past fall. When asked which championship was sweeter to attain, Oxford slightly leaned toward softball.

“With volleyball, we’ve made it to the state championship in recent years, but we’ve never been able to pull through, at least since I’ve been there,” she said. “But last fall, being able to do that was really cool.

“But with softball, it was really sweet because we had never made it to the state championship and that was the school’s first time making it there, and the school’s first win there. So I probably have to say softball and winning it for my dad, it was really important to him and just seeing everything that he worked so hard for and we all worked hard for, it was great.”

It was just as hard a decision as to what sport Oxford will be playing at the next level. As much as she loves softball, Oxford instead will be playing volleyball at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn.

“I honestly didn’t know which one I wanted to play until last summer,” she said. “I like volleyball, it’s a little more fast-paced and anytime I make a mistake, I have the opportunity instantly to make it back up. And in softball, sometimes you strike out, and then there’s eight other people you have to wait until you get to hit again.”

So Oxford is definitely going to savor her final moments playing softball and attempt to end her career back on top once again. Not to mention savoring playing with her friends and for her father.

“(I’m) making the most of my time that I have left to play with my dad and play with some of my best friends and just really soak it all in and don’t let it pass me by,” Oxford said.