Softball teams from across Kansas played one last game Wednesday in Overland Park

It didn’t count for much. In fact, it didn’t count for anything. It was the season that never was.

At least, that’s how Blue Valley High School graduate Jordan Hays and her family viewed it. Hays’ senior softball season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and thanks to a creative Piper High senior, Hays’ team and 28 others from around Kansas got to step on the field as high schoolers one last time.

“One Last Game” was a one-day event for high school softball teams from Kansas to play together one more time Wednesday in Overland Park.

Recent Piper graduate Bella Grivat reached out to Midwest Sports Productions in hopes of organizing a chance for softball teams from across the state to play a game with added meaning — one that would in a small way replace a season that was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

No teams wore true jerseys. Instead, most wore team T-shirts. The Blue Valley Tigers wore school-color yellow tees with “2020, The Season That Never Was” on the back.

“My family and I were talking about this game and just kind of sprung up an idea of playing the season that never was,” Hays said. “It was definitely pulling at my heartstrings. I mean, I was just so ready to get back out on the field.”

For Tigers coach Jennifer Stock, it really was a season that never was. This was her first year as head coach for the Tigers, and she doesn’t have a season record to prove it. Instead, she put all her pent up energy into Wednesday’s one, seven inning game.

“It wasn’t even a real game, and I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited,” Stock said. “I was thinking through everything in my head, and just the chance to stand over on third and encourage these girls was awesome for me.”

The game really counted for nothing. Scoreboards remained off, and umpires kept track of innings played. Still, the chance to play with her high school teammates is one Grivat had hoped for when she came up with the idea.

“Some of these girls I won’t get to play with ever again,” Grivat said. “It just means so much to have one more time with them and all the underclassmen that I didn’t get to play with.”

Even with her idea and MSP’s help, Grivat didn’t expect the event to be as popular as it was. Blue Valley Sports Complex’s parking lot was full from fans and players who were ready for a sunny day at the fields.

“I did not expect it to be anything like this,” Grivat said. “There’s so many people who wanted to do it. I was just blown away by the outcome of it.”

Stock wasn’t the only coach whose first season was taken from her. Grivat’s coach, Rachel Milnark, also coached one game for her first season. Despite not getting the season to bond with her team, Milnark said seeing Grivat and her teammates take on leadership roles and coordinate this idea says a lot about their passion for the game.

Passion was present on all eight fields during both sessions of play. Sixteen teams took the fields at 9 a.m. with 14 following at 11:45 (St. James Academy played two games). Teams chanted and were constantly battling for their one and only win of the season.

Olathe East head coach Amanda Harrington said seeing that passion made it worth it to watch her team play.

“At the beginning, to tell them they didn’t have a season was extremely hard,” Harrington said. “And then when I got to tell them that they were going to have a season, it was one of the best feelings ever. They were so excited to play, and you could tell how excited they were to play just being on the field together.”

For Grivat, Hays and so many other seniors, the “One Last Game” was their chance to play their first, last and only game for the schools.

“This was our chance to get that ‘never was,’” Stock said.

This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 2:42 PM.