Des Arc softball pitcher chasing strikeout state record

DES ARC, Ark. — Four years ago, Des Arc High School softball didn’t have enough players to finish the season. 

Now, the Eagles are one of the top teams in Class 2A and have a superstar in the circle closing in on a state record.

“What a magical year,” head coach Jim Featherston said. “I don’t even know what to say about it. It’s an honor for me to get to coach a once-in-a-lifetime athlete like this.”

That athlete is Kaylee McDonald.

A few weeks ago, the Southern Miss commit reached 1,000 career strikeouts, an accomplishment fueled by the growth of her school’s softball program.

“We started off with nine players my freshman year to having 30 on the roster this year,” McDonald said. “So it’s just grown. Kids are wanting to play softball now that didn’t even think about it when I was a freshman.”

However, that growth hasn’t gone unnoticed by her teammates.

“It’s just been great having the program continuously get better and better, and have more girls want to play and be a part of it,” teammate Emma Buckner said.

As the program has taken off, so has McDonald. Now in her senior season, she’s chasing one final goal: the Arkansas state record for career strikeouts.

“People are like, ‘Well, she’s trying to get this record, she’s trying to get this record,’” Buckner said.

With postseason play set to begin, McDonald is fewer than 70 strikeouts away from the all-time mark.

“It would feel like a major accomplishment, especially coming from a school who barely had anything,” McDonald said. “To now have a state record would be really exciting.”

And for her teammate, Buckner, the moment would mean even more than just a number.

“Our program was terrible a few years ago,” Buckner said. “Her breaking this record could be something that changes this program as a whole.”

Des Arc enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed in its regional tournament, which begins on Thursday.