Utah State University softball player Kelley Kaneshiro isn’t looking to hit a home run every time she comes to the plate.

For the Auburn native, it just comes naturally.

“It’s definitely not my mindset when I’m walking up to the plate,” Kaneshiro said. “I’m looking for the hit. If I end up hitting a home run, that’s great for me and great for the team’s success. But I’m not trying to hit a home run every time.”

Regardless of her intent, the dingers just keep coming for Kaneshiro.

Earlier this month, in a game against Cal State Northridge, the senior blasted the 25th and 26th home runs of her collegiate career, breaking the school’s previous record of 24. And with one more year of eligibility left for Kaneshiro, there is likely to be plenty of more homers to come. In fact, she hit No. 27 a week ago against Cal State Bakersfield.

For Kaneshiro, the collegiate home runs are just an extension of her prep career, where she smacked 30 taters as a senior for coach Chris Leverenz and the Auburn Riverside Ravens.

Kaneshiro, who played ball since she was 5 – including a stint with the Washington Acers select team – has made no significant changes in her approach at the plate since jumping up to collegiate play.

“I’ve done nothing special, nothing different,” she said. “I just adjusted to quicker pitching and different movement. Pitchers having better control over the ball. I don’t think I did anything extra. I just practiced with the team and put my time in the cages.

“My freshman year (in college) I hit 10 home runs,” she added. “In the back of my mind, I knew the career record was 24. I figured if I stayed on the path of hitting 10 a year, that could be my record. So I stayed with that standard since I’ve been here.”

Although she’s a senior academically, Kaneshiro redshirted her sophomore year due to an injury and will play again next season for the Aggies.

“I will be finishing out my fifth year here playing and finishing up my minor,” Kaneshiro said.

That means adding family consumer human development to her major of parks and recreation, groundwork for a career working with children, she said.

“I definitely want to coach softball and maybe work for a small town with their youth department, working with children in their after-school and summer programs,” Kaneshiro said. “And definitely coaching.”

“I would love to coach at Auburn Riverside next to Coach Leverenz and maybe down the road get my own program,” said Kaneshiro, a standout shortstop for the Ravens, helping them to a third-place finish at state in 2004. “I’m just kind of (a) wherever-the-wind-takes-me (person) at this point. I’ll go wherever I get a job. The sky is the limit.”

Kaneshiro also has not ruled out the chance of playing professional ball after college.

“There is a pro softball league with eight teams on the East Coast,” she said.

Also, on the table is the possibility of playing internationally.

“But the overseas teams are only allowed two Americans on their teams,” she said. “So if it happens for me, great. If not, I’ll just go on and get a job and go back to being a normal person.”

To follow Kaneshiro’s collegiate career, visit www.utahstateaggies.com/sports/w-softbl/ust-w-softbl-body.html.

redshirted her sophomore year due to an injury and will play again next season for the Aggies.

“I will be finishing out my fifth year here playing and finishing up my minor,” Kaneshiro said.

That means adding family consumer human development to her major of parks and recreation, groundwork for a career working with children, she said.

“I definitely want to coach softball and maybe work for a small town with their youth department, working with children in their after-school and summer programs,” Kaneshiro said. “And definitely coaching.”

“I would love to coach at Auburn Riverside next to Coach Leverenz and maybe down the road get my own program,” said Kaneshiro, a standout shortstop for the Ravens, helping them to a third-place finish at state in 2004. “I’m just kind of (a) wherever-the-wind-takes-me (person) at this point. I’ll go wherever I get a job. The sky is the limit.”

Kaneshiro also has not ruled out the chance of playing professional ball after college.

“There is a pro softball league with eight teams on the East Coast,” she said.

Also, on the table is the possibility of playing internationally.

“But the overseas teams are only allowed two Americans on their teams,” she said. “So if it happens for me, great. If not, I’ll just go on and get a job and go back to being a normal person.”

To follow Kaneshiro’s collegiate career, visit www.utahstateaggies.com/sports/w-softbl/ust-w-softbl-body.html.