Carson High's Kailee Luschar, center, signs her National Letter of Intent to play softball at Arizona State Friday afternoon, following her senior season with the Senators. Pictured with Kailee are her parents, Judy, left, and Steve, right.
Before Carson High’s Kailee Luschar put pen to paper and signed with Arizona State on Friday, athletic director Blair Roman and softball coach Carlos Mendeguia took a few minutes to describe the type of player and person Luschar has been while at Carson.
As Mendeguia took over the microphone, the emotions of the moment started to catch up with Luschar as her head coach rattled off compliment after compliment of the future Division I athlete.
“I’ve worked so hard for this,” said a choked-up Luschar. “All of it coming to is kind of surreal. It’s an amazing feeling, honestly.”
It wasn’t just the Senator senior who fought through a few tears as Mendeguia also paused briefly while talking about his newest collegiate signee.
“I’ve been coaching for 28 years. I’m emotional because she’s such a great person,” said Mendeguia after Luschar signed. “She’s probably one of my most fun kids I’ve ever coached. ... She makes my job so much more enjoyable and easier. She’s just a natural and gifted athlete and obviously that’s why Arizona State picked her up.”
After making the signing official, Luschar said the coaching staff at Arizona State was the biggest draw for her to take her talents down south.
“They take you in and you are one of their kids. They love you like one of their own,” said Luschar. “It’s a little college town, kind of. ... It’s warm. That’s my favorite part I think.”
Luschar hit .579 her junior year with four home runs, 26 RBIs, 44 runs scored and posted an outrageous on-base plus slugging (OPS) percentage of 1.401.
The soon-to-be Sun Devil was a first-team all-league selection in 2018 before being named as the Sierra League Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
“She gets good grades. She has high character and integrity. That’s an A1 kid right there and she’s going to be missed,” said Mendeguia.
With a good portion of her senior year left, Luschar has already started to close in on what she’s hoping to study while she’s a Sun Devil.
As of now, Luschar thinks she will major in business, but also is leaning toward an education degree.
The Carson senior stopped to thank her family and friends afterward as well.
“It means the world. I could not have done it without any of them. Without one, the whole thing would have fell apart,” said Luschar.
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