Reed just fine throwing pitches, not punches, for undefeated Seaman Vikings

No, Hailey Reed never had much desire to lace up a pair of boxing gloves.

The Seaman pitcher would rather throw softballs than punches.

That clarification seemed necessary considering Hailey’s father, Damon Reed, boxed professionally and continues to train fighters and promote cards in Topeka.

“He has told me to take a fight, see what I can do in the ring,” said Hailey, shaking her head. “I have only seen him fight a couple of times. I don’t really like it.

“I know I’m not risking my face getting punched. He has me do some workouts, though, similar to things boxers do when they train. They help with conditioning, and I know how to protect myself.”

Damon, an All-City football player during his high school days at Seaman, smiles when he hears that.

“She’s worried about her face, so she never took me up on boxing,” he said, “but everything’s turned out good. She loves softball. She’s a great student, too.”

Reed, a junior, stands 10-0 for the undefeated Vikings as they move on to the Class 5A state tournament, scheduled to start Thursday at Two Rivers Youth Club in Wichita. Seeded No. 2, Seaman (22-0) faces Valley Center (14-5) at 5 p.m.

To qualify for a ninth consecutive state tournament appearance and 15th overall, Seaman rode a one-hit shutout Reed fired in a regional championship win against Topeka West. Reed struck out 10 and retired the last 15 batters she faced after giving up a hit to open the game.

Seaman won 10-0 by run-rule after five innings ... essentially a technical knockout. The shutout win was the fifth for Reed, who carries a 0.75 ERA, with 94 strikeouts.

“Her control has improved each year, and each year she’s added a pitch,” Seaman coach Jay Monhollon said. “I think that’s where Hailey has been strong this season is because she’s not relying as much on her velocity to get batters out.”

“I’ve worked on the movement of pitches and getting that to work for me,” Reed explained. “I know my pitches have velocity, but you have to work on movement, too, to be effective.’’

The promise Reed flashed since emerging for the Vikings lured college scouts.

She is committed to Pacific, a Division I program based in Stockton, Calif. It competes in the West Coast Conference.

One historical nugget: Opened in 1851, Pacific was California’s first chartered university. One current attraction: The California weather allows for year-round softball.

“That’s what’s ideal,” Reed said. “I get to play all the time. “What I like, too, is they told me it’s not all about pitching. I can play outfield when I’m not pitching.

“Being in California, they play a lot of bigger schools and I’ve always dreamed of being able to compete with that kind of schedule.”

Her progression in softball seems natural — not only on the mound, but as the Vikes’ speedy leadoff hitter.

Reed’s mother, Sara, starred in softball for Butler University as an outfielder and shortstop. Competing for Clark High School in Hammond, Ind., Sara (Vine) earned 11 letters in four sports. In 2003, she was inducted into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame.

Sara, an elementary teacher in the Seaman district, obviously helped with the softball progression by Hailey, who now works on the side with former Kansas coach Tracy Bunge.

Bunge has also worked with another standout pitcher in the 5A tournament field — Brittany Finney of Wichita Carroll, a senior who signed with Oklahoma. Carroll, the four-time defending 5A champion, also stands 22-0 and was seeded No. 1.

“We’ve seen (Finney) and we know we have to focus,” Reed said.

That begins, Reed acknowledged, by not looking past the first round.

Same approach a boxer would take into a fight, though this athlete named Reed would just as soon take her dad’s word on that and do without a squared circle.