Column: Rosary’s Emily Hurst takes on leading role at top of batting order for Waubonsee. Surprise? ‘I was in shock.’

Emily Hurst’s answer? Never had she ever.

That came from a question posed to Hurst, the Rosary graduate and a slugging freshman shortstop for Waubonsee Community College.

Had she ever batted leadoff before coach Joe Spitzzeri wrote her name at the top of his lineup card for the Chiefs on their 10-game trip to Florida to open the 2023 season?

“Never in my life,” said Hurst, who had always batted in a traditional run-producing spot lower in the order.

The notion wasn’t completely foreign to her, however. Spitzzeri had told Hurst he was thinking about it when he recruited her, but still, it took a little time to sink in.

“I was in shock,” Hurst said. “I thought it was a joke when he talked about it before.”

It’s no laughing matter, though.

“I’m a big Yankees fan,” Spitzzeri said. “I figure if Aaron Judge can bat leadoff, anyone can. It’s the best way to get her as many at-bats as possible, and our lineup is the strength of our team.”

With batters throughout who can reach base, Spitzzeri believes Hurst will still get plenty of RBI opportunities.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone drew a fair share of criticism late last season when he moved Judge, the team’s slugger, to the leadoff spot from his usual No. 2 for 34 games.

It produced mixed results and was labeled a gimmick by broadcaster Alex Rodriguez, the former Yankees and Texas Rangers star. But Judge did hit 13 of his team-record 62 home runs in that stretch and then signed a nine-year, $360-million contract in December.

So how’s it going for Hurst, who has a unique skill set for Waubonsee as a two-sport athlete?

Quite well, thank you.

A 5-foot-10 forward, Hurst was the second-leading scorer last winter, averaging 14 points for the WCC women’s basketball team. She also averaged 8.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists but is off to an even hotter start in softball.

Hurst was named the national player of the week in NJCAA Division II. In a span of 16 plate appearances, Hurst had 14 hits in 14 official at bats, eclipsing the record of nine straight hits set by Alycia DeLuca in 2017.

“I had no idea — I was super surprised,” Hurst said. “I started something like 0-for-8 in two games the first day, so that may have had something to do with it.”

Hurst hit .636 for the week, producing 12 runs and 13 RBIs. The highlight was a pair of grand slams.

Through the team’s first 12 games, she was hitting .605 with nine doubles, five home runs and 19 RBIs, all team highs.

She added a sixth homer in Tuesday’s come-from-behind 5-4 win over Danville in the first game of a doubleheader split for the Chiefs (7-7).

Hurst, who hit .733 last spring for the Royals, has never had a personal hitting coach. She credits Ron Michi, an assistant for her Dennison Silver Hawks travel team, for helping overhaul her swing.

“He really pushed me and gave me a lot of drills to work on that have helped me physically, and he’s helped me mentally,” Hurst said. “A lot of times, slumps are in your head.

“I’ve definitely peaked the last two years.”

Her talent, work ethic and competitive drive have impressed Spitzzeri and WCC women’s basketball coach Jim Williams.

“She’s a great athlete, just learning to come into her own in basketball,” Williams said. “She guarded the best person on the other team most of the time and ran the top of our 2-3 zone if she didn’t.

“She was also our backup point guard, a position she never played before, so she had to learn how to distribute the ball.”

In the midst of her basketball season, she would also take part in winter softball workouts two days a week.

“We have a pretty strong conditioning program and she wanted to do everything,” Williams said. “I finally had to tell her to take a break sometimes. She’s so competitive and she never wants to let her teammates down.”

Hurst wanted to stay close to home to play both sports and in front of family and friends.

“My grandpa (Marty Feltes) is my biggest supporter,” Hurst said. “It’s nice he gets to see me play. It’s tough, but I’m really happy with the decision.

“For any high school senior considering it, I’d say go for it. If they don’t like it, they can stop. It’s definitely been a positive for me.”