The Colorado Girls: Best friends bring energy, grit to UNK softball team

From left, Addy Deal, Eden McNally and Rylyn Nelson are best friends and UNK softball teammates. They also played together at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. (UNK Communications)

KEARNEY – University of Nebraska at Kearney head softball coach Katie Ackermann had two rules for the 2025 season.

Work hard and be a good teammate.

“The game itself is hard enough,” she explained. “If you can’t play it with people you truly enjoy being around, then it’s really not fun at all.”

In her sixth season leading the UNK program, Ackermann is focused on creating a positive team culture and supportive environment. Winning is still important, she said, but you have to take the right steps to achieve success.

Nobody has bought into this philosophy more than the “Colorado girls.”

“I think they’re a real reason why our culture is the way it is,” Ackermann said. “I’m very thankful for everything they’ve done for us.”

“It’s hard for me to even put into words what they’ve done for me personally and professionally. They’ve made me a better coach and a better person. And they’ve shown me what I really want the future of this program to be. They’ve been nothing short of amazing.”

PACKAGE DEAL

Outfielders Addy Deal and Eden McNally and second baseman Rylyn Nelson are more than just teammates. The Colorado natives are roommates and best friends.

“I honestly don’t know what we’re going to do without each other,” McNally said with a smile. “We’ve grown such a dependency on each other, and we have such a good time together. It’s definitely going to suck when it comes to an end.”

The trio first met at Northeastern Junior College in Nelson’s hometown of Sterling, where they were part of the best softball team in school history. The Plainswomen won a total of 71 games during their two seasons together there and captured the program’s first-ever Region 9 championship.

“There was nothing that could stop that team,” said Deal, a Fort Collins native. “It was awesome.”

Deal hit .452 with 20 homers, 31 doubles, 93 runs scored and 148 RBIs over those two seasons, and McNally added 44 stolen bases, 59 RBIs and 109 runs scored while batting .379. Nelson played three seasons for Northeastern, earning NJCAA All-American honors twice. She finished her junior college career with a .446 batting average, 222 RBIs, 239 runs scored and a school-record 72 homers.

Of course, those kinds of numbers are going to catch the attention of coaches at four-year schools.

Former UNK assistant Jason Miller saw the eye-popping stats while scouting for players who could boost the Lopers’ offensive production, and Ackermann was already familiar with Northeastern from her time coaching at McCook Community College. She successfully recruited Northeastern transfer Stacy Bott, a UNK pitcher and utility player in 2022 and 2023, a couple years earlier.

“They were Region 9 champions. They were leading the nation in batting average and home runs. We knew these players would be a great fit for our program,” Ackermann said.

The UNK coaches traveled to Sterling to watch Northeastern play and meet the trio in person. At that time, Deal was seriously considering a commitment to UNK rival Fort Hays State, but the Lopers had a wild card up their sleeve.

What if the three of them came to Kearney together?

“It was like a sign from God,” Deal said. “I would get to continue playing with my two best friends for two more years. I knew this was the place where I needed to go.”

She committed first, then the others followed.

“If you’re going to go to a new place, you might as well go with your two best friends,” said McNally, a Castle Rock native.

Nelson agreed, putting off her plan to coach high school softball in Sterling so she could join her pals in Nebraska.

They came to Kearney in summer 2023 – sight unseen.

BUILDING NEW BONDS

Transitioning to a new state, new city, new school and new program is never going to be easy, and there were certainly bumps in the road.

“That first fall, we were all kind of struggling with the new environment,” Deal said. “We didn’t really know a lot of people, so we really leaned on each other in the beginning. I don’t know if I would have made it without them here to support me.”

“That was my biggest selling point for coming to UNK,” Nelson added. “I didn’t want to keep playing softball because I didn’t want to start over in a new place. But coming here with two of my best friends was a total game changer. Now, I couldn’t imagine the last two years without my teammates and coaches.”

After a brief adjustment period, the Colorado girls found their stride both on and off the diamond.

“Once the spring season rolled around, I feel like we got a lot closer with our teammates. It was a lot easier to kind of let loose, have fun and play the game we know how to play,” Nelson said. “This season has been even better because I feel like we were able to connect as a team a lot quicker. The entire team just clicked immediately, and I think that shows up a lot more on the field, too.”

“We came in as three really big competitors, which I think helps the team, but we also like to have a lot of fun with each other,” Deal added. “We know that if you’re friends with your teammates, you’re going to play better. I think that was really important for us.”

Because of the close bonds they’ve created, Deal, McNally and Nelson all say this year’s team is the best of their careers.

Ackermann gives these three players a ton of credit for creating that feeling.

“I never see them apart. When they show up, they show up together. When they leave, they leave together,” she said with a laugh.

“They feed off each other in the most positive way. When one of them is having a hard day, the other one brings the energy. They’re really genuine people with great character.”

Beyond that, they have a deep passion and love for the game. Ackermann describes them as tough-minded and gritty – “the true definition of ballplayers.”

“You don’t run into kids like this very often. When they show up to the yard, they are absolutely ready to work. They want to get better,” she said. “They also bring this sense of ‘we can beat anybody.’ It doesn’t matter who we’re going to face, we’re going to beat them.”

Earlier this season, the Lopers completed a rare doubleheader sweep against conference foe Washburn, then picked up the program’s first-ever win against 15th-ranked Rogers State. They’ll wrap up the regular season Saturday at Fort Hays with a chance to earn a trip to the MIAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.

“I wouldn’t want anything more than to make the conference tournament for these girls and give them absolutely what they’ve wanted since they got here,” Ackermann said.

FRIENDS FOREVER

Deal, McNally and Nelson have played a combined 240 games for the Lopers, recording 13 home runs, 21 steals, 92 runs, 120 RBIs and 165 hits.

All three of them will graduate in May. Deal and McNally are earning bachelor’s degrees in business administration with minors in marketing/management, and Nelson will receive a degree in general studies with emphases in physical education and family science.

After moving back to their home state, Deal plans to take a gap year while studying for the Law School Admission Test and McNally wants to work in residential real estate. Nelson still hopes to coach softball in Sterling while attending cosmetology school.

Although they’ll no longer be teammates, the Colorado girls will definitely remain close.

“We’ll always be hanging out,” Deal said with a smile.

“Yeah, we’ll be friends forever,” McNally added.