MLHS senior Gina Skinner commits to Northwest Nazarene

MOSES LAKE — The trophy case inside the Moses Lake High School office may have been replaced with the Skinner family living room, but the sentiment and excitement were all the same. Family, coaches, teammates and friends gathered virtually as Moses Lake senior Gina Skinner signed the dotted line, committing to play softball for Northwest Nazarene University next season.

Chiefs head coach Michael Hofheins introduced Skinner’s former coaches and Moses Lake athletic director Loren Sandhop on the video feed, with everyone taking a moment to congratulate her on continuing her playing career next year.

Rich Wagner, Skinner’s travel team coach Ron Thompson called her “one of the best, if not the best, student-athletes to ever play for the USA Explosion.”

Skinner’s future coach at NNU sent a message expressing the excitement the coaches and players had for Skinner to join their group.

Skinner’s parents and sister expressed their joy and pride in seeing the senior extend her playing career and further her education. Skinner’s father, Rick Skinner, said he was excited to have four more years of softball to watch, and added it didn’t hurt having his daughter so close in Nampa, Idaho.

Skinner said she’s excited to move on to a new adventure. NNU, she said, felt like the perfect place for that.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of playing college softball,” Skinner said. “Through the years, especially when I hit high school, is when I started to realize I can do it. I’m capable of anything, and if I push myself enough, I can make it. And I believe that attitude has allowed me to get where I am today.”

Skinner had a nice blueprint to follow heading into high school, watching her older sister, Marnie, move on to play college softball at Iona College after her time with the Chiefs.

“I got to see the challenges she faced, so it’s not as scary or as hard for me,” Skinner said. “I got to look at what happened for her and know it’s okay, you can do it, you always have help if you need it.”

Skinner said she talked to her sister quite a bit while deciding on where to attend college next season. She said she’s interested in science and softball, so having her sister, a science major, helping seemed like the perfect fit.

Both sisters were heading into their senior seasons this year before the schedules were canceled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Skinner said it’s been disappointing not being able to experience her senior season with her teammates. She said she feels like everyone is disappointed, but knows just how hard this hit her fellow seniors.

“It’s our last chance to really show everybody what we have,” Skinner said. “But I’m excited to start new things next year, and I know that our team will do great next year as well.”

Hofheins said the only word that really comes to mind when he thinks about the season being canceled is “heartbreaking.”

“When the news came out and I sent out that initial email to my team that we were done for good, I was about half-choked up when I was composing the email,” he said. “It’s a huge bummer.”

Hofheins said he’s excited and proud to see Skinner extend her career and have the chance to represent the school and community moving forward.

Skinner’s leadership skills almost overshadow what she delivers on the field, Hofheins said, crediting the example she sets with her hard work.

“The thing I’ve always appreciated about Gina is she treats every single person in our program the same, whether it’s the most rookie person on C team to First Team All-League players,” Hofheins said. “She doesn’t treat anyone differently; it’s really a testament to who she is as a person, her character, and how she was raised.”

Having the chance to gather with all of her teammates and coaches again for her signing Monday, even it was virtually, felt pretty good, Skinner said. She added that she and her teammates have done their best to stay in touch.

Skinner said her parents have always been by her side throughout her life and her athletic career. She said her parents remained positive and supportive of her throughout the recruiting process, helping find the right school for her.

A key leader for the Chiefs in her last few seasons, Skinner will now have to work her way back to that role as a freshman. She said she doesn’t need the title to do the job.

“Even if you’re not titled as a leader, you can always be a leader by example,” Skinner said. “And I feel like that’s what I’ve done most of my years, so the title itself does no justice for what the actions speak.”