Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Kiahna Hill put up numbers during her freshman season that nearly any first-year start would envy.

Hill hit .381 with four-extra base hits and 12 RBI last year in 42 at bats that came almost exclusively in a reserve role.

The statistics were a solid starting point but Hill wanted more.

So as soon as her freshman campaign at West High ended Hill got to work.

Hill spent the offseason breaking down and rebuilding everything about her hitting approach from her swing to her mentality.

“I knew I needed to change something just by looking at how I was doing,” Hill said. “I changed my entire swing. I changed everything.”

The offensive overhaul has paid dividends for Hill in her first season as a full-time starter.

Hill is hitting a team-high .412 and enters Thursday’s Class 5A, Region 7 quarterfinal at Dubuque Senior (17-20) at 5:30 p.m. leading West High (17-23) with seven home runs and 24 RBI.

“Kiahna, like a lot of kids on our team, came in with limited or no varsity experience and has really taken advantage of the opportunities that she has had this year,” West High coach Barn Lynn said. “When you see her hit the ball when she makes solid contact your first gut feeling is not that this is her first season of serious continuous at bats.”

Hill had always been able to hit the ball a long way.

She showed evidence of that a year ago with two home runs and a .595 slugging percentage in her limited role.

Hill reinvented her swing during the offseason with the intent of hitting more line drives and less deep fly balls.

“My goal was just to hit the middle of the ball,” Hill said. “Before I kind of had an uppercut home run swing and I wanted to hit more line drives.”

Hill got off to a slow start with her new approach as West High struggled early with a lineup full of first-year starters.

West High opened the season with eight consecutive losses and Hill went a modest 5-for-24 during that stretch.

The Women of Troy have taken off following the slow start and Hill has been a big reason why.

Hill has a hit in 28 of 32 games since the 0-8 start for West High and the sophomore third baseman has 10 multi-hit games and is hitting .452 during that stretch. 

“My beginning of the season could have been a lot better but I’m happy with how I am hitting right now,” Hill said. “In the beginning of the season I was really focused on my average and then I just forgot about that and tried to make good contact with the ball.”

The revamped swing hasn’t robbed Hill’s ability to hit the long ball.

In fact, Hill has driven the ball more as a sophomore.

Hill homered once every 33 at bats during her freshman season and the first eight games of this year.

Over the last 32 games she is hitting a home run every 11.2 at bats with all seven of her home runs coming in her last 26 games.

“Kiahna is seeing the ball really well right now,” Lynn said. “She is a nice big strong hitter and when she makes middle of the ball contact she is hitting the ball really, really well.”

The power numbers have stayed this season for Hill who has become more of a complete offensive player during her first season as a starter.

In addition to her team-highs in home runs and RBI Hill leads the Women of Troy in runs (28), hits (49), slugging percentage (.647) on-base percentage (.457) and stolen bases (23).

“She is an athlete,” Lynn said. “It will be fun to see her develop because she is a sophomore, she is hitting really well and she has a great arm. It’s just going to be fun to see what the next level is for her each year.”