WHS grad Ryleigh Buck is in the final stretch of her incredible softball career
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Ryleigh Buck is a Wichita State University senior. She is 23. She recently got engaged. She is going to physical therapy school and is looking forward to starting her adult life.
Ryleigh Buck
But for the next couple of months, she has this little thing left to do — conclude her softball career.
Buck is a member of the 2021 WSU Shockers, who are having one of the most successful seasons in Shocker history. Just this week the Shockers climbed to No. 23 in the USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Poll, its highest ranking ever.
WSU is 32-6-1 with a .833 percentage. The Shockers are leading the American Athletic Conference with a 14-1-1 record and .906 winning percentage.
An NCAA tournament berth seems imminent. Selections will be May 16. And the Shockers, who have played in this tournament before, are projected to be a high seed.
Buck, the daughter of T.D. and Sheila Buck in Wellington, is a starting infielder, mostly playing at third base this season. Her stats have been solid. She is currently batting at .281 and her on-base percentage is .367. Buck, much like her days in Wellington, is Ms. Reliable when it comes to fielding. Her success rate is at .966.
Of course, this article probably should have been written in 2020 which was when her senior year was supposed to be. But the Coronavirus delayed that as well. She received an extra year of eligibility after the 2020 season was cut short.
For Buck when she puts away her Shocker uniform for the last time, it will conclude a remarkable career – probably as good of an athletic endeavor for any Wellington High School graduate.
The accomplishments are remarkable.
•In her high school career, she started all four years for her dad, T.D. who is the head coach of the Crusader softball team. She also played four years of tennis. In 2016 she was named Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year. Her banner is on the wall in the WHS gymnasium.
•She became a member of the USA Women’s Baseball team in the Pan-American games in Toronto, Canada.
•She played for the Wichita Mustangs under coach Mark Griggs.
•In her freshman year, Buck played 26 games and had a batting average of .175, hitting two home runs.
•In her sophomore year, she was a second-team all-conference selection, starting all 55 games at first base. That year she hit .305 with 10 doubles, two triples and six home runs.
•In 2019, her junior year, she was a first-team all-conference selection and on the American All-Academic team.
And now comes her final month.
Starting Friday she will be helping the Shockers against the University of South Florida in a four-game series at home at Wilkens Stadium.
Then WSU hosts Oklahoma State on April 27 before traveling to Tulsa for a four-game series.
The big game is against Oklahoma on May 4 at Wilkins Stadium. The Sooners are the No. 1 team in the country and is considered to be one of the greatest girls softball teams of all time. OU just lost its first game yesterday evening.
For Buck, it will be a fitting regular season end to her days playing at WSU and career.
