Baylor Bockhaus: Shreveport’s Softball Sensation Redefining Greatness

Baylor Bockhaus, a 15-year-old soon-to-be sophomore at Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana, is rewriting the script for what a young softball player can achieve. An infield standout for the top five nationally ranked Calvary Baptist Lady Cavs, Bockhaus is a true five tool player, combining prodigious power at the plate, defensive prowess, and a mature mindset that has made her a “head-turner” in the softball world. With a resume brimming with accolades and stats that defy her age, she’s not just a local star—she’s a national phenomenon. Considering the power she has as a high school freshman, her exit velocity is 82 mph, while top college hitters achieve mid-80s, with the occasional 90s.

A Powerhouse with Unrivaled Stats

Bockhaus’s bat is a force of nature. Over her eighth grade and freshman seasons, she launched 40 home runs, including 25 in her 2025 freshman campaign alone. Playing for a Calvary Baptist team that finished 35-1 and reached the LHSAA Select Division III state championship game, she hit .551, drove in 89 RBIs, and smashed 13 doubles and 2 triples. Her discipline at the plate drew 19 walks, resulting in a .610 on-base percentage (OBP), a 1.331 slugging percentage (SLG), and a jaw-dropping 1.941 OPS.

Baylor with State Championship trophy

Her dominance extends to travel ball with the elite Bombers Gold 16U ArkLaTex-Chaffin team. In 68 at-bats, she hit .456 with a .506 OBP, .838 SLG, and 1.345 OPS, adding 5 home runs, 24 RBIs, 8 walks, and 11 doubles. “I always go up to bat with the approach of sitting on the first pitch,” Bockhaus says. “I’m thinking it’s a strike until it’s not. I just don’t watch as much decent pitches go by because I know I have to jump on whatever they give me.” Her strategy is deliberate: “When I step into the box, I always have the same approach, right-center. Whenever I have in my mind to hit the ball right-center, my body automatically gets my swing to go that way and be good. I think that knowing that I can hit the outside pitch really is what helps set my stats apart.”

A Freshman Season Loaded with Honors

Bockhaus’s freshman year was historic, earning her a cascade of accolades:

• All-District Outstanding Player of the Year

• All-City Player of the Year, crowning her Shreveport’s finest.

• Shreveport Times Softball Player of the Year, recognizing her dominance in northwest Louisiana.

• All-Tournament Team for D3 Select State Championship, for her playoff performance.

• All-Region Second Team, showcasing her regional excellence.

• LHSAA All-State Team and LSWA Class 2A All-State Team, cementing her statewide elite status.

• MaxPreps First-Team All-American and First-Team Underclass All-American, placing her among the nation’s top players and underclassmen.

  
  

Her eighth-grade season set the stage, with 15 home runs and First-Team All-District and All-City honors despite competing against older players. “In 8th grade, I was so nervous facing people that were so much older than me,” she recalls. “But after my first varsity year, I realized that I am able to hang with all of these other players, and I can succeed.”

Dedication That Started Young

Bockhaus’s love for softball began at age three in wee-ball. “I loved the sport so much that I just stuck with it and decided I was going to practice every day to become the best I could be,” she says. Since sixth grade, she’s trained weekly with her hitting coach, KP, perfecting her swing with drills like the “knee-toe coil” and offset batting practice. “Even on weeks that I don’t hit with him, I always do the drills that are my favorite that I’ve learned from him,” she adds. Her preparation includes mental toughness, knowing opponents study her stats and videos. “I always just have that in the back of my mind to just maybe be prepared for a first pitch changeup or something junk like that,” she explains.

Confidence and Faith Under Pressure

Bockhaus’s confidence grew significantly from eighth grade to her freshman year. “My goal this year was never to beat any type of record,” she says. “I came into this season and all I wanted to do was have a batting average that was over .500, and I worked hard every game to make sure I could keep it at the level that I wanted.” Her freshman season felt pressure-free: “My thoughts were always ‘well I don’t have a lot of expectations on me since I am just a freshman.’” But with her accolades now public, she anticipates more scrutiny in 2026. “I know there will be a lot more pressure on me for my sophomore season,” she admits. “I like to use the pressure as an advantage to me though because it just gives me more confidence in my ability to do really well.”

Her faith and leadership shine through at Calvary Baptist. “At Calvary, I know a lot of younger girls look up to me for everything that I’ve done and I always make sure to hold myself to a high standard with the way that I act,” she says. “Even if I make an error, I am still going to be cheering my pitcher on. Even if I strike out, I make sure to go out smiling into the field.” She wears a cross necklace every game, a symbol of her faith. “Even if I don’t get a chance to talk to everyone that I meet, the younger girls that may watch me play are able to see how I hold myself and know that it’s because of God that I am where I am today.” She mentors younger players, answering their questions about swings or fielding, always eager to help.

Cherished Memories and Team Spirit

Bockhaus’s favorite moments came during the 2025 state tournament trip. “We had SO much fun at state,” she says. “My favorite day down there was when me and a few other girls on the team dressed up in neon wigs and surprised the rest of the team and Coach Tiff with something funny. State was just so fun, and winning both games helped make it fun too.” Playing under Coach Tiffany Wood, the 2025 District 1-2A Coach of the Year, and alongside teammates like junior pitcher Kynzee Anderson, the district’s MVP, Bockhaus thrived in a supportive, competitive environment.

Baylor shares with teammate Reese Walker what the pitcher was throwing as she walks back to the dugout after scoring

Balancing Softball and Family

Softball’s demands are intense, with daily practices until 5:00 p.m. during the season. “I usually just get home, eat dinner, go to sleep, then wake up and repeat it,” she says. To unwind, she plays pickleball for up to eight hours a week in the summer with her brother and friends. “It’s just so relaxing doing something that I don’t have to worry about 24/7,” she explains. Her “amazingly fun” teammates make the grind enjoyable. “Sometimes it feels like all I do is play softball and I see the same people every day, but that is what my teammates are there for. With them there, it makes everything so much more fun. "In a family of six, with two brothers and a sister, sports are a constant. Her parents juggle schedules to support her. “My mom is my biggest encourager and supporter. She is my biggest cheerleader that is always in my corner,” Bockhaus says. “My dad is the one who will take me to go out to hit any day at the drop of a hat. He invests so much time to make sure that I can always be to the best of my potential.”

Big Dreams for the Future

Bockhaus aspires to play Division I softball, preferably in the SEC, for a program with “amazing coaches that I get along with.” She also dreams of winning a state championship every year of high school. “I would like to continue winning state every year so that whenever I leave high school, I am able to say that I’ve won every year of my high school career,” she says. Her sophomore goal is simple yet ambitious: “I am just simply going to aim to get more hits than I did this year and the home runs and RBIs will come along with it.”

A Star on the Rise

At 5'5", with elite offensive and defensive skills, Bockhaus is poised to rewrite record books and have the choice of any school she would like to play for. Her .551 batting average, 25 home runs, and national accolades as a freshman are the result of relentless preparation, a confident approach, and a love for softball that began at age three. As she gears up for her sophomore season, the softball world is watching, and Baylor Bockhaus is ready to shine even brighter.

Player Comparison: Baylor Bockhaus & Erin Coffel

Bockhaus continues to turn heads not only with her in-game dominance but also with the way she performs in showcase settings. At LSU’s Elite Camp, the freshman launched a towering 236-foot home run in batting practice, a ball that carried with the kind of authority usually reserved for seasoned college hitters.

At her Bombers Recruit Day, she backed up the hype with strong measurables:

• Exit Velocity: 71–72 mph

• Overhand Velo: 60–62 mph

• 20-Yard Dash: 2.6–2.7 seconds

• 5-10-5 Shuttle: 5.25–5.4 seconds

  
  

Those numbers stack up impressively against top Division I recruits, showing not only raw strength but also quickness and athletic versatility. The best current projection for Bockhaus may be Erin Coffel, the former Kentucky standout who stormed onto the professional stage as the 2025 AUSL MVP and Hitter of the Year with the Bandits. Coffel’s rookie campaign saw her hit .410 with 28 RBIs, leading the league in on-base percentage (.566) and slugging (.869) while proving to be a true middle-of-the-order force.

Like Coffel, Bockhaus brings a rare combination of elite power, run production, and consistency. Both hitters thrive under pressure, drive the ball to all fields, and show advanced plate discipline. The parallels are striking — Coffel has already established herself as one of the faces of the professional game, and Bockhaus is beginning to look like the kind of player capable of following that same path.