Photo illustration by Sam Thiel Mary Bothun has been named the 2019 Marshall Independent Softball Player of the Year.

DAWSON – It’s been said that great leaders lead by example.

Dawson-Boyd’s Mary Bothun has taken these words to heart, as the five-year varsity member provided a consistent level of excellence in the circle and in the batter’s box this past season and throughout her high school softball career thanks to a tireless work-ethic.

Though the Blackjacks’ 2019 season didn’t end the way they had hoped with a first-round exit in sections, Bothun was always there to pick her teammates up with words of encouragement after tough losses and during practices.

For all of these reasons and more, Bothun has been named the 2019 Marshall Independent Softball Player of the Year.

Bothun said she is happy to see her hard work pay off with the recognition.

“It sure is an honor,” said Bothun. “I’ve put in a lot of time over the last four years and now I’m all done. I’d say it paid off. I had a lot of fun playing.”

Bothun went on to thank her family, coaches and teammates for all of the support they have provided over the years.

“My varsity coach John Nevins, pitching coach Wayne Dahl and JV Coach Kelly Wente have all helped me a lot throughout the years,” said Bothun. “My brothers have also always helped me and supported me as well.”

Coach Nevins called the honor fitting given the amount of time and energy she has put in to get to where she is today.

“She’s worked hard at it,” said Nevins. “She had been working out on her own and she was ready. She’s gotten stronger. She’s always been athletic, always been quick and always had good instincts, but as she’s gotten more mature she’s gotten to be more of a leader.”

The hard work described by Nevins translated into a season to remember for Bothun, who led the area in nearly every statistical category in the batter’s box. Whether it was hitting for power with an area-leading six home runs, or for contact with a .488 average to go along with an area-best 41 hits, Bothun was an absolute force at the plate.

In the circle, Bothun was equally impressive and saved her best performances for when the lights were the brightest – including an especially strong outing against a deep Murray County Central team in which she gave up only one run in a 1-0 final.

Nevins credits her adding a few new pitches to her arsenal as the key to her ascension as a feared pitcher for the Blackjacks.

“She’s added some pitches and changed the speeds a little bit,” said Nevins. “She’s not a big girl but she changes the speeds and she fields her position very well. She moves it around and has had quite a few strikeouts. I think that the fact that she can move the ball around, change the speeds and got to be more of a pitcher instead of a thrower (has contributed to her success). She knows when to throw some of those pitches a little bit better than she did in the past.”

After spending time at various positions like shortstop and left field, Bothun said she especially enjoyed the pitcher position because she can set the tone for the game.

“I like leading,” said Bothun. “I like having control over what can happen on the field and kind of set the tone of it.”

With her senior season now in the rear view mirror, Bothun has her sights set on the next chapter of her life with college as she is set to attend South Dakota State University next fall where she will be pursuing a nursing degree.

Though she doesn’t plan on playing softball at the next level, she doesn’t rule out the possibility of being a coach somewhere down the line.

“I don’t think I’ll play in college but maybe down the road I’d love to coach,” said Bothun.

Reflecting on her five-year journey in a black and gold uniform, Bothun said she’ll miss the overwhelming support of the community the most.

“(I’ll miss) the community support that came with every sport,” said Bothun. “In a small community everyone is so involved and supportive and it was really, really nice.”

After witnessing her growth as a player and overall leader first-hand since arriving at the varsity level, Nevins said he’ll miss that constant presence of leadership and excellence on and off the field that Bothun provided throughout her career.

“She’s kind of that constant. If we’re going to load the bus we want to make sure Mary is on that bus,” said Nevins. (I’ll miss) the fact that she had fun playing softball. She wanted to go to practice, she wanted to go to the games and she wanted the practices to be fun. I think everybody built off of that. She could take criticism. She’s not hard on anybody, she just works, takes care of her business and has fun.”