The Huskies got hot at the right time last spring and found their way into the state tournament. North went 16-23 with a 7-7 district play record. They went 3-0 in the Memorial regional beating Moore and Edmond Memorial twice despite getting swept by them earlier in the year. Here is Coach Allen as he talks about these two special Seniors.

Kolby Grinsteiner, C (2026)

Coach Allen’s Thoughts:

“Kolby is a senior who returns to be our starting catcher. One of our leaders in the clubhouse. Kolby is an excellent student and teammate. A player that you can always count on to do the right thing, and outwork others. This year, he has prepared to have a big senior season. We expect to be a captain on the field, and be a big part of the offense. He is our best athlete in the program, physically strong and runs very well.”

Kolby’s Interview:

• Tell me about yourself on & off the field. -> “On the field, I pride myself on being a glue guy, bringing my team up, and keeping energy high while being the loudest voice on the field. Off the field, I feel like I’m pretty easy-going. If I’m not hitting or catching, I’m normally staying in, relaxing with friends or family, or getting a lift in.”
• How do you feel heading into this season compared to last year? -> ” I’ve got a great feeling about our team going into this year. I feel our squad has a lot of potential to succeed during and after the regular season. Last year, we struggled during the regular season, with injuries contributing to that, too. We persevered and finished strong, though, so the goal would be to do both this year.”
• What personal goals have you set for yourself? -> “Personally, my goal would be not to try to fill in the missing pieces that we lost, and I would preach that to my team as well. I want to go out and place my own brick, and not try to replace one. Be myself, commit to what I have strength in to help our squad succeed.”
• What does a successful season look like for you? -> “Like I mentioned earlier, last year we finished strong, but we didn’t exactly play at our full potential the whole year. A successful season would be to start strong and carry that throughout the season into regionals and beyond.”
• What’s the biggest challenge you expect this season? -> “We have quite a few guys stepping into new roles or taking on more responsibility.
  We are building confidence as a team, learning to work as one to have the greatest chance of success this year.”
• What do you want to be remembered for as a player at North? -> “I want to be remembered as a beacon of growth. My freshman year, I was small, I was weak, and I hadn’t played catcher in years. I didn’t consider myself varsity material. But in my sophomore year, I put on 25 pounds, and I put work into learning an unknown position. Overall, my game got stronger, and I earned a varsity jersey. When people think of me, I want them to realize that where you start doesn’t dictate where you finish.”

Drew Hudkins, LHP/1B (2026)

Coach Allen’s Thoughts:

“Drew is a senior that has really worked himself into a candidate possibly to get time at first base and in the DH role. He is a great example guy in the clubhouse, and just shows up and puts the time and work in. Drew brings back 30-40 innings from the previous two seasons. He will be a guy who we will count on to throw some innings, especially being experienced and a LHP.”

Drew’s Interview:

• Tell me about yourself on & off the field. -> “On the field I work to be a leader and be the same guy no matter the circumstances. I don’t believe in over communication so I’m always vocalizing to the people around me; whether that’s what the batter did last AB or how many outs there are I speak it. Both on and off the field my faith is at the forefront. I thank God everyday and owe all my accomplishments to Him. Off the field, I’m kept pretty involved with my high school through student council. I stay on top of my schoolwork in the classroom.”
• How do you feel heading into this season compared to last year? -> “I feel great, I mean last year we had a good squad and I love all those guys that graduated but I think we’re more together this year like everyone’s always rooting for each other and I’ve got high hopes.”
• What personal goals have you set for yourself? -> “I wanna do whatever it takes to help the team. I hope to continue to contribute from the mound and add to that from the field and plate. As a tangible goal I’m working to bat >.300”
• What does a successful season look like for you? -> “I think by definition anything less than a state championship isn’t a successful season. I can be proud and happy with other results but a state championship isn’t the only that I’ll be content with.”
• What’s the biggest challenge you expect this season? -> “I think our pitching is the thing that is the most up in the air. We have a bunch of talent but we lost our Monday Tuesday guys. Regardless, we have a very deep bullpen with a lot of guys I’d be confident in.”
• What do you want to be remembered for as a player at North? -> “I hope to be remembered as good teammate and leader. Obviously everyone wants to be remembered for their talent but beyond that I have high hopes that my character will be what sticks with people”

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