First in a series of seven.

MSUB SPORTS – Ask any shortstop and she'll tell you that the phrase '4-6-3' is music to her ears. It is code for 'double play,' and is a number combination universally recognized but rarely uttered on a softball field.
Few moments on the diamond compare to turning a double play defensively, and it is for situations like this that Montana State University Billings senior Taylor Hoke lives for.

It is a culmination of several elements that makes a double play possible, some of which take years of tireless repetition honing skills and focusing on minute details. Others are traits that lie within someone, abilities that cannot be taught.

The footwork utilized by the shortstop, particularly when receiving a throw around the bag at second is an art within itself. It's a tangible skill, something that garners countless hours of attention and development. The quick hands and anticipation needed when a split second is the difference between one and two outs however, are rare traits that only come around every so often.

A CHAMPION IN THE FAMILY
There was not much time for reaction or preparation when Hoke found out she would be facing her little sister Kayla for the Washington softball state title. Hoke's Adna High School had won its semifinal game within minutes of a semifinal win by Kayla's Pe Ell High School, and as soon as the dust cleared from the final outs, the sisters found out they would be squaring off in the championship game.

"We had about an hour in between the semifinals and the finals," Hoke remembered about the final game of her senior year. "It was kind of weird, we didn't say anything to each other. We just had to go warm up."
 

Hoke had grown used to her father Troy standing behind her at the beginning of every game, offering suggestions and minor adjustments to her swing. This time when she turned around for his consultation, she received a shake of the head, as if he were saying, "this one is between you and your sister, that's all."

A diving play by Kayla prevented her older sister from reaching base the first time up, and as Hoke remembers it the emotions were visible on the freshman's face. "The first play of the game she dove and got me out as the leadoff hitter," Hoke said. "She was crying pretty much that whole inning."

The out was the only one of the game Hoke made, as she finished 3-for-4 and helped Adna to a big 10-0 victory. With nearly their entire home town rising in applause in the stands after the game, the Hoke sisters met at home plate, and shared a final embrace.

COLLEGE BOUND
With the taste of victory fresh in her mouth, Hoke packed her bags for Billings, Mont., as she set out to pursue her career at the NCAA Division II level. She had visited MSUB on a recruiting trip the previous year, and right away the coaching staff knew they had a player who could contribute.

"We knew how important Taylor could be to this team, so we made sure we kept in contact with her," said MSUB head coach Lisa Allen. "Her most impressive traits were her arm strength and how quick her feet were defensively, and we knew we had a good base to work with."

Hoke had mainly played catcher through her high school career, but her natural ability with the glove prompted Allen and her staff to move her to third base. "The transition wasn't all that difficult, and I remember Nicole (Colpron) helped get me really prepared for what I needed to do," Hoke said regarding a senior mentor on the team her freshman season. "When she got hurt and I started, I was really nervous but she kept encouraging me."

Not only did Hoke start 36 games during the 2012 season, she batted .340 and drove in 18 runs in her very first college season. The Yellowjackets finished 32-18 overall, winning the GNAC regular season title and advancing to the NCAA West Region Championships.

"The atmosphere in a regional game doesn't compare to anything," Hoke remembered of the playoff games in Seaside, Calif. "That is definitely a moment that stands out, and we were the top team that whole year all through conference play."

"Taylor was definitely humbled by the experience of starting a regional game for us," Allen said. "In a way it was her first look at how important she could be to this team."

Despite losing both of their games at the regional tournament, Hoke and the Yellowjackets returned to Billings with determination to once again reach the postseason. Though MSUB has not returned to the regional since Hoke's freshman year, the experience is something that has transcended classes and is a big reason why this year's players look to Hoke and the seniors for leadership.

"She always talks about how incredible that experience was and it is exciting for all of us because we all want to be in that position," said sophomore center fielder Bella Rovens. "All of the seniors want to get there again and just them talking about that environment makes you want to be there. It is definitely our goal."

AROUND THE HORN
After starting at third for her first two college seasons, Hoke shifted one position to the left beginning last season, and developed an unbreakable partnership with MSUB second baseman Aubrey Conceicao as the two became double play partners. Against Northwest Nazarene in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game last April, Conceicao fielded a ground ball, and fed it to Hoke who fired a strike to Emily Osborn at first base. It was the first connection for a double play between the three seniors, and was a moment that brought three years of bonding and teamwork to life.

"It gives me chills knowing how hard Taylor and Aubrey work and how much extra time they put into those double plays," Allen said. "Turning two in softball is not an easy feat, and when they are able to make it happen it is motivating and inspirational for the entire team."

"We actually met on our recruiting visit when we were high school seniors, and I just remember thinking how good she was at her tryout," Conceicao said regarding Hoke. "We all just thought, 'she has a cannon!' Then we met again our freshman year and we have always been close."

During a practice their freshman season, a hard slide by Conceicao resulted in a collision that broke Hoke's nose. "We always joked that I had gotten mad and punched her," Conceicao said with a laugh. "She had to wear this big facemask and she hated it."

Now a four-year starter for the 'Jackets, Hoke is one of seven seniors on this season's team who experienced the regional tournament together in 2011. Along with Conceicao and Osborn in the infield, catcher Brittney Sanders and pitchers Mary Grace Bywater, Jessica Campbell and Jessyka MacDonald have progressed through the Yellowjacket program together.

"I have never been part of a team that has been so close before," Hoke said. "We are all just as close off the field, and it is really nice to all be familiar with each other in that way."

From the high of reaching the NCAA playoffs to the low of missing out on the GNAC tournament and everything in between, Hoke and the seven seniors have stuck together and grown into the role models that they are today.

"The biggest benefit to having a senior class of seven is obviously their experience, and most have been four-year starters," Allen said. "They each have a unique leadership style, and each of them affects their teammates differently and positively. Taylor is a caring, consoling type of leader, and she always finds a way to turn any situation into a positive."
 

HOKE HANDS
"The kid has incredible hands. It is something that is super hard to teach. Being an infielder, one of the biggest compliments you can get from a coach is that you have good hands." – MSUB assistant coach Taylor Nelson on senior shortstop Taylor Hoke.

Whether it is picking a short hop out of the dirt on a throw down to second or seamlessly removing the ball from her glove on a double-play transfer, Hoke's hands are lightning-quick. They are assets that have caught the attention of MSUB graduate assistant Taylor Nelson, who has primary responsibility as an infield and defensive specialist.

Through her three-plus years as a Yellowjacket, Hoke has progressively cut down on the number of errors, with 10 her freshman year, seven as a sophomore and only six last season. She also currently ranks fifth all-time in career assists with 189 through her first six games of 2015. "We can't even imagine her at third base anymore because of the way she has thrived stepping into her role at short," Allen said. "Having her there and having her teammates know how good she is with the glove helps make the defense relax and trust in each other more. If she is out there she is going to get the job done."

While Hoke is the first to admit that defense has always been her strong point, she credits Nelson with helping transform her swing this season as she fills the crucial third spot in the lineup. "I have never been that big on hitting but Taylor came in and changed my whole swing this year," Hoke said. "It is feeling a lot better than it was before."

Evidence of the strides Hoke has made offensively surfaced at the 2015 Desert Stinger Classic, where she earned all-tournament honors after hitting .529 with three home runs in her first five games of the season.

"It has been really fun to see the growth Taylor has had from her freshman year to now," Allen commented. "This year she has the best range defensively since she has been here, and she has become a much more consistent hitter."

"Having Lisa as a coach has been better than I could have imagined," Hoke said. "She and (assistant coach) Bekah Gasner are always there to talk if we need anything at all. They really look out for us."

While the on-field example that Hoke sets is one that all of her teammates can strive to achieve, the role model she has become is something that stands out to those who are closest to her. Considering she is majoring in psychiatric rehabilitation, Hoke has naturally assumed a role as a mentor within the team.

"Taylor is easy to look up to because she always gives 110 percent in everything she does," Rovens said. "It has been awesome watching her grow into a leader. Everyone looks up to her and she leads by example."

"Taylor has always been such a sweet person and so kind-hearted," said Conceicao, who shares the same academic major as Hoke. "Everyone respects her and looks up to her, and she is a talented person on the field and a genuine person off of it."

After her playing career, Hoke has aspirations of pursuing a master's degree with the ultimate goal of becoming a child psychiatrist. A career focused on helping and serving others falls right in line with the person Hoke has developed into during her career at MSUB, and she gives credit to a role model of her own who has had the biggest impact of all.

"My dad is the reason that I got into softball, and he has taught me everything I have ever done," Hoke said. "He and my mom (Hillary) get all of the credit, they have always helped me through everything."

When asked what she hopes to take away from her experience at MSUB and leave behind for the next generation of Yellowjackets, Hoke spent little time considering her response. "I wouldn't pick anywhere else to go to college, just because of the friendships I have made and the people I have met," Hoke said. "I just hope people always think that I gave 110 percent and had the mindset that losing is never an option."

When the 'Jackets make their home debut in March at Avitus Group Stadium, the team's energy will be sky high as they compete for a return ticket to the NCAA regional tournament. Whether it's a diving stop up the middle, a back-hand snag in the six hole, or best of all a 4-6-3, chances are it will be Hoke's hands that bring out the loudest cheers from the crowd and teammates alike.

Next: Part 2, Emily Osborn, 1B