With a dad that played baseball when he was young and a lot of encouragement from her grandpa, Muskogee High junior Kyra Rowland got started playing softball when she was about five years old. She moved on to travel ball when she was 12 and played up until this year. Her skills in the circle and her willingness to adapt have drawn the praise of coach Mark Dicus. “Kyra will be a three-year starter for us in the circle and is just a great competitor,” said Dicus. “She pitches to location well and when she’s on, it gives us chance to win every day. She doesn’t walk many folks. She hits 4^th or 5^th in the lineup and her hitting has improved every year. I think the area she has improved in the most is adapting to pitching the way I want to see by attacking hitters and she does that well because she has such good control.” Even though she’s best known for her pitching, Kyra says a highlight of her career so far came at the plate. “It was last year, and we were playing a summer league game at NSU, and I hit my first home run,” said Kyra. She says her best pitches are her inside and outside curve, her changeup and two-seam fast ball and she’s working to perfect her rise ball this year. Among the folks that have had a big influence in her life, Kyra cites her cousin Gabbi Davis who is a senior on the team. The Lady Roughers have posted winning records the past two fast pitch seasons and Kyra feels 2025 could be a year for them to shine. “I think we’ll have a lot of wins, and my goal is for us to make it to the state tournament because we’ve improved so much the last two years, and I think we have what it takes to get there this year. I’d like to get at least three strikeouts in every game I pitch this year and improve my hitting even more.” In her spare time, Kyra says she likes to watch movies with her family and go to the gym with her dad.