The Rockhurst softball program is better shape today than it was when Payton Staggs began her freshman year in the fall of 2016. In her four seasons with the Hawks, Staggs was one of the team's top hitters and student-athletes.
 
Staggs, who finished her college career with a .336 batting average in 121 games, completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Rockhurst in four years.
 
Balancing softball and academics were a key for Staggs, who maintained a GPA over 3.95 in both of her degree programs. "The biggest keys for me were using a planner to stay organized and planning/working ahead as much as possible during season."
 
While not returning next season saddens the Jefferson City, Missouri native, she leaves behind great memories of playing softball with her teammates that made the game and all the extra hours of work outside games so enjoyable.
 
"I was fortunate enough in my four years at Rockhurst to be able to graduate with both my undergraduate degree (in accounting) and my MBA (Master's in Business Administration). Thus, it only seems like the natural progression of my life for the next chapter to begin," said Staggs, who will pursue a career in the accounting field.
 
Staggs said it is hard to pick just a couple of great softball memories, but she especially enjoyed her senior year playing on a team that was so accepting of everyone.
 
"We all knew when it was 'go time,' but we could also be goofy and have so much fun during the process," Staggs said. "Overall though, one of the best memories has just been seeing how far the program has come within the four years I've been there."
 
RU softball coach Bailey Wittenauer said Staggs was a steady leader in her senior year. "She batted in the lead-off spot and always found a way to spark our offense."
 
Staggs reached base in half of her 74 plate appearances this year, batting .455 (30-for-66) with 17 runs scored and 16 RBIs in helping lead the Hawks to a 13-7 record.
 
"Payton is a player who just gets it done, and this year she did a really good job of leading her teammates to do the same thing. She will be a large role to fill and our program will miss her," Wittenauer said.
 
One of the Hawks' biggest wins of the 2020 season was a 3-2 victory over Fort Hays State in the Washburn Invitational in Topeka, Kansas. Staggs won the game with a walk-off double in the eighth inning.
 
"We were in international tie-breaker and we had a runner on second," Wittenauer said. "Traditionally people bunt the batter in that spot, but I knew (Staggs) could hit a double just as easily as she could lay down a bunt. So, she hit away and won us the game with a shot to the right-center gap."
 
Unfortunately, the season ended on March 12 for Staggs and the rest of the college sports world due to COVID-19.
 
"It really didn't seem real at first," Staggs said. "It felt like it was just going to be a short break, and we'd all be back together playing in a few weeks. It wasn't until a lot of us were hanging out one last time before we all headed home that it really hit me. It sunk in that what felt like the worst news at the time had to be done to try to keep those we love safe."