There’s no question Valparaiso’s Delilah Kincaid has an abundance of ability.
But the sophomore third baseman by no means relies only on her natural gifts.
“She puts the work in,” Valparaiso coach Tracy Corneil said. “She comes to the field every morning. She hits before the game. She hits on the weekend. She works on her craft. She’s always looking for ways to not only be better individually, but that spills over and helps us too.
“She’s always asking for another ball, an extra at-bat. She’s a workhorse. You don’t get that good because you observe. She does the work behind the scenes. You have that talent, but she’s earned it, for sure.”
Kincaid, considered a high-level Division I prospect, is hitting .500 with four homers, 13 RBIs and 18 runs scored, leading the Vikings (5-8) in each category. She also paced the team last season by batting .410 with six homers and 23 RBIs.
“Last year, I struggled about midseason, so this year I’ve just been thinking about keeping it consistent, base hits and just staying as stable as possible for my team,” Kincaid said. “I was struggling to get on base. I just took a step back and reassessed myself and attacked and picked it up from there. I’ve just been trying to pick up where I left off.”
Kincaid is also a captain this season, as voted upon by her teammates.
“I’ve improved not just on stats, but also lifting my team up and being in more of a leadership role,” she said. “Now that I’m no longer a freshman, I feel like I know the ropes and I can more effectively help my team.
“I know my teammates can trust me. I’m somebody they can depend on and come talk to.”
Senior Brooklyn Hudson and junior Elizabeth Kosek also are captains for the Vikings, whose roster includes two seniors, seven juniors and five sophomores.
“Delilah brings in confidence to our team,” Kosek said. “The team knows that more times than not, the ball hit her way is going to be an out. She’s also one of our best offensive players. When she’s up to bat, it’s a hard out. I would not want to be the other team.
“I love being on the same team as Delilah. She’s such a smart player. Outside of softball, she’s that same fun and confident person you see when she’s on the field, making it such a pleasure to call her my friend.”
Kincaid is a standout basketball player too. She made significant strides on the court this past season, averaging 9.1 points and 4.6 rebounds as the Vikings won their first Duneland Athletic Conference title since 2005 and their second straight Class 4A regional title.
But softball has remained Kincaid’s primary sport.
“Playing multiple sports and succeeding in them is always good,” she said. “I don’t try harder in one than the other. I always try my best in everything. But I’ve always loved softball more, even when I was a kid. That’s what I want to take to the next level.”
Kincaid should have an array of options. She plays for a travel team based in Orange County, California, where she spends about two months over the summer. She has received encouraging feedback from various camps she attended.
“She has a lot of big possibilities,” Corneil said. “I can’t wait to see where she lands.
“She’s just a neat kid. I enjoy her a lot. She’s young, but she knows the game. She has a tremendous softball IQ. She understands the game inside and out. She is here not only as good as she is, but she brings everybody else up too.”
Kincaid has a similar impact on her 11- and 9-year-old sisters, who also play basketball and softball.
“We go outside and play a lot,” Kincaid said. “I was always taught when I was younger to go outside and play and explore, and so I still do that a lot today. My grandma lives in the middle of nowhere like 20 minutes from here. I’ll go explore the woods. I like to do that and look at nature with my sisters.”
