To say that the game of softball was in Hunter’s blood isn’t hyperbole. Nothing could be closer to the truth. Her mother was a standout on the diamond and poised to continue building her legacy at the Division I level.
Plans changed. As a result, softball became the family sport and strength would become the family’s defining trait.
“My mom was set to play softball at New Mexico State, but then she got pregnant with me,” Hunter said. “Growing up, softball was the sport my mom put us in. She started me out when I was about four, but at that age you don’t really know what you’re doing. I’d say I’ve been legitimately playing since I was six, and I played because of her. Everybody has to live their life and grow in their own way, and my mom had to do it very differently in a way I know I couldn’t have done.
“She’d tell me stories about how she had to catch the bus with myself and my sisters … and all she’s been through sounds like a nightmare. I know the strength I do have, I got it from her. My mom has been a driving force, because if I could do half the things I’ve done with no kids, it’s looking good for me.”
While her mother introduced her to the game, it was Ta-Ta (Hunter’s grandfather) who saw to it that she’d excel. He knew Hunter had it in her before she saw it for herself, and once he came to that realization, he made sure his granddaughter would feel that greatness, too.
“He’s my hero, man. He’s almost 70, and he’s super fit … he’s such a peaceful man, and he’s the one who recognized I could be as good as my mom, though I think I’m better than her but that’s neither here nor there,” Hunter said with a chortle. “He’s always seen greatness in me before I saw it in myself. He took me glove-shopping – and those are expensive – and for my high school graduation he got me my first expensive bat. He’s always seen that light in me from a young age, and he’s always been my biggest fan.”
Not only did Hunter play softball, she played well. Hunter hit over .500 her junior year at Santa Rita High School, and was an Honorable Mention to the Arizona Daily Star’s All-Star team as a senior. From there, Hunter began her college career a couple of hours northeast of her hometown at Eastern Arizona College. She was an immediate difference maker, hitting .406 with 48 runs scored, 32 stolen bases and 25 RBI.
Hunter’s efforts resulted in a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association NJCAA West Region Second Team. The stage was set for the start of a promising journey. She had already gotten farther than she originally expected. What was set to follow would just be cherries on top.
“My family didn’t have the best financial stability, so I never thought I’d even end up at college,” Hunter said. “I would never dream that big for myself. I took JUCO for what it was, but it was definitely an experience.”
At the time, she had it figured out: Crush it at Eastern Arizona – which she was doing – and eventually transfer to the University of Arizona. It was all going to work out swimmingly for the multi-faceted, dynamic and ultra-competitive utility player.
Then it didn’t. Hunter’s biggest enemy came to the surface during one wrong decision that manifested into a violation of team rules alongside a pair of teammates. Just like that, she was kicked off the team.
Left to scramble together a contingency plan to salvage her aspirations, Hunter ultimately enrolled at Pima Community College. She continued to play well, hitting .356 for a team that went 46-14. On the surface, it seems like a nice rebound.
It wasn’t.
“I hated every minute of it. I messed it up for myself and was in a situation I didn’t want to be in, so I was really unhappy,” Hunter recalled. “Arizona was off the table, as I was just one less person to worry about. That sophomore season from August to December, I didn’t have anything lined up for myself and I was super down in the dumps. I didn’t want anyone to know the predicament I was in.”
While athletics kept her afloat initially, more pressing matters started falling by the wayside. One of the first things to go was her self-confidence, a constant struggle through her formative years.
Next came her academic standing. A good student for as long as she could remember, Hunter just didn’t have it in her to try for anything beyond the game of softball, as she had resigned herself to the idea the longest chapter of her life was set to have the most ignominious of epilogues.
“I was more disappointed in myself. I still loved softball, but at the time it felt like it was my last hurrah,” she said. “I kept playing because if I didn’t, I was already going to look like a failure. I think if anything, my passion for the game kept me hanging on by a string. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have done any of this. I was in classes but honestly I wasn’t taking them seriously. I didn’t want to be there and I was miserable, so I got really bad grades because I didn’t care anymore. I thought my softball career was over … I really thought I had ruined my own life.”
At the midnight hour, a lifeline emerged for Hunter in the form of a lifelong friend and future teammate in fellow Tucson native Destinee Williams, who had chosen to attend Prairie View A&M of her own volition. The two had played together growing up, and Hunter considers her more of a sister than a best friend. Around her birthday in 2015, Hunter let the walls down and confided in Williams of her harrowing situation.
Williams and her father reached out to PVAMU Head Softball Coach Vernon Bland on Hunter’s behalf. The rest was history.
“I laid everything out for (Bland) and told him the truth,” Hunter said. I sent over my awful GPA, and I mean it was awful. I have never had a GPA that low. I’m a very intelligent woman, but honestly I had given up on myself and my GPA reflected that. It was so bad. After I laid everything out he said ‘If you want to come, you can do it. We’ll take you.’ So I bought a one-way ticket to Prairie View, so to speak, and never looked back.”