Rising Star: Wichita State’s Lauren Mills

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Another historical season for Wichita State softball. They’ll have one power hitter coming back next year, hoping to make an even further post-season push, Topeka native Lauren Mills. A threat at the plate, Mills kept her skills fresh by playing in the sunflower softball league this summer where she powered herself into the homerun derby.

“I play soccer too if you didn’t know. Anyway,” Mills said playfully.

Always a joker, Wichita State power hitter Lauren Mills, isn’t afraid to mess around on the diamond.

Her lightheartedness must be paying off, earning a First Team All-Conference selection and making the American Conference Championship All-Tournament team. Mills is looking to improve her skills in the Sunflower Softball League.

“It’s really fun to have that opportunity this summer since it’s my last summer and I know it’s a couple other girls last summers too for us to actually enjoy being a kid again,” said Mills. “I got to get to know the culture of their softball programs as well, they always ask me about our culture at Wichita State.”

Mills, more commonly known by her nickname LoLo, finished her junior season as a Shocker with a .303 batting average including 16 homeruns and 51 RBIs. So it’s no surprise she advanced to the summer league’s homerun derby.

“Kind of having that knowledge in the back of your mind, saying, ‘I know I did this and I can do this and overall throughout the homerun derby it’s, ‘Ok, what have you learned this summer and how can I apply it?’ For me, knowing the stuff that I am doing on my own is paying off.,” said Mills.

Maybe most well-known for her rabbit Jery who gained fame during one of WSU’s World Series Regional games in Arkansas this year.

“Jery is great. The announcers were asking why he only has one ‘R’ he’s one rabbit. So for me that makes sense. He is getting a new addition real soon so you may have to report on two rabbits real soon,” said Mills.

While Mills is an animal lover, she is the only known player in school history to hit a bird on a homerun... as the ball was leaving the park.

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