Every once in a while, a player comes across their respective sport and puts on a special performance for the entirety of that season. Regardless of the sport, we see this often in star athletes as they lead their teams to countless wins while putting on great numbers.
Then there’s Indiana freshman Taryn Kern.
What Kern has done in her first season in Bloomington is historic, some might even say legendary.
The Big Ten Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year has put on a show for the entire softball world to see and now as Team 50 heads into the Big Ten tournament with hopes of a NCAA bid, the stage is set for Kern to continue her magical season.
The relationship between Indiana and Kern can be dated back to the middle of the pandemic. With COVID-19 in full swing, California shut down the ability to play in any type of tournament across the entire state. The San Jose native had to find another way to make it out onto the field. She made her way over to New Mexico for an out-of-state tournament and while 17 hours away from home, she sat in her family RV waiting to play but that’s when Indiana made the call.
“It was my junior year when recruiting opened up so September 1st. We just had some Zoom calls,” Kern said. “I had a Zoom call with the coaches and they were super fun. They all have awesome personalities so it was a great call and yeah, we just kind of progressed from there.”
From that moment, Kern and Indiana’s staff hit it off. Kern gained more attention from other schools but as time went on she realized that after talking with other coaching staffs, Indiana always felt a little different. The Zoom calls were centered around anything and everything softball related but the majority of their discussion was about the team itself. The conversations were also about her as a person equally as much as they were about her as a player.
Those Zoom calls were the only way that Indiana and Kern were able to communicate during COVID. The pandemic made the recruiting process a lot harder on both ends but even with all the added difficulty, Kern felt like Indiana was the perfect place for her.
“The coaches at IU definitely stood out for me because they're just doing something really special here,” Kern said. “They care about their players beyond just what happens on the field and having a personal relationship with them. The chemistry of the team is a big deal and I think that's also something that's important to me as a player. That’s what really drew me to the program.”
So far in Kern’s first season, it's fair to say that this year's team has been all about chemistry. Indiana is heading into the postseason after posting one of their best seasons in school history. The Hoosiers finished the regular season with a 40-15 record which is the first time Indiana has recorded 40-plus wins in a season since 1994. They also held a 18-5 record against conference opponents all while ending the year on a nine-game win streak. Oh let’s also not forget the historic 23-game win streak that lasted the entire month of March.
The spotlight has surrounded Kern and this team all year long as they’ve continued to roll past opponents. This team has put on a show for everyone to watch. Social media has been a buzz all season long and Andy Mohr Field was packed for the entire season with an energetic atmosphere.
From a top-25 ranking, consistent weekly Big Ten awards, to even a No. 2 spot on ESPN’s Sportscenter top 10, all eyes have been on Indiana this season. This team is riding their year on a high note but even with all the attention on the team, this group is focused on one thing -- winning.
“Being on a mission and just sticking to that,” Kern said. “Just remembering what's important, right? Not necessarily the coverage or getting on ESPN, but just keeping our win streak going. Being in every moment on the field and individually getting it done so we can succeed as a team.
At the beginning of the season, all 20 players were asked to pick a specific word to describe their goals for the year. Kern sat back, thought about what word she would pick, and settled on her choice.
Limitless.
In a season full of home runs, RBIs, record-breaking, dominating wins and a whole bunch of accolades, it's fair to say that she picked the perfect word for her freshman season. But for Kern, this doesn't come to much of a surprise.
Her time training with Warrior Academy and all the work that she’s put in since she was a little girl has led up to this moment. She knew the potential that she possessed, all she had to do was go out and show the rest of the world.
“My word was limitless and I think that ended up playing out pretty cool with everything that I've accomplished,” Kern said. “I think that I knew that I had so much room for growth in college and that I had all the tools that I needed to get it done. It really just depended on how committed I was and how much I wanted it. I think I was really ready this year to make that commitment every day and to be able to do stuff off the field, extra work to get it done on the field.”
Kern has led Indiana to a special season but now it all comes down to what they’ve all been working for all year long. Indiana is set to play Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed, their highest-ever seed in the tournament.
Indiana is in search of their first Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. If the postseason is anything like the regular season, Kern and the Hoosiers are in store for some even more magic.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON THE HOOSIER'S MESSAGE BOARDS
-- SUBSCRIBE TO THE HOOSIER'S YOUTUBE
