Student-Athlete of the Week: Autumn Rutherford

Niwot softball's 2022 season commences Aug. 16, and for the third straight year, Autumn Rutherford will be one of the Cougars' biggest bats.

Rutherford's ability to impact the game offensively with both power and speed earned her first-team all-conference honors in the 4A Longs Peak League as just a sophomore. Now entering her junior campaign, she hopes to be recognized on a grander scale with an all-state nod.

During the past few months, her skills have been displayed throughout the country playing for her Castle Rock-based club softball team, Batbusters Colorado. Rutherford's summer with the 16U team included trips to Kansas and Missouri, and when that season ended, she was invited to join the 18U team for tournaments in California and Georgia. Competing with older girls was nothing new to Rutherford, however, as her 16U team often played older teams.

"We had gotten a little bit more exposure to what it's like to be facing those harder pitchers and stuff, so I was kind of used to it," said Rutherford, who batted .517 for Niwot last season with six home runs. "But I think at that level and in those big tournaments, it was amazing to see the level of dedication that all those girls put in and just how good they can be."

Another major bonus of those out-of-state tournaments is getting more exposure in front of college coaches. Rutherford credited Batbusters coach Mark Craig for guiding her throughout the early stages of the recruiting process, which should only get busier starting Sept. 1 when college coaches are allowed to begin contact.

"I definitely want to play softball in college, that's one of my biggest goals," Rutherford said. "Obviously everyone wants to play at the big Pac-12 DI schools, but I think playing softball in college is something that I'm really looking forward to. I'm not sure (about) any majors or anything yet, but just that I want to play."

A student-athlete's junior season is critical for gaining college momentum and Rutherford is thankful to have a solid support system at Niwot, with Cougar head coach Bobby Matthews being one of her biggest mentors.

"He plays a huge part in my life," Rutherford said. "He's also the study hall teacher at school so I'll go and see him basically every day and almost every single class. We'll kind of just talk, talk about softball, talk about school. He's just been a huge part of my growth in softball and just in general."

Rutherford also gave back to Niwot last spring when she served as a student manager for the baseball team, often hitting fungoes to players on the JV squad.

She has also built strong relationships with fellow teammates, juniors Zoe Cameron and Anne Booth. On the field last season, Rutherford and Booth combined for 89 hits, 13 of which left the yard. "With her (Booth) and Autumn, we're pretty dangerous with those two," Matthews said.

Along with taking on a bigger leadership role as an upperclassman this year, Rutherford may also be used differently during games. She spent the latter part of last year at third base but with Ayva McComas now graduated, shortstop is a position that Matthews needs filled; outfield is also a possibility for Rutherford. Her typical spot as Niwot's leadoff hitter the past two seasons could also be adjusted with the 2022 Cougars.

But regardless of where she's at in the lineup, her speed should keep the Cougars' carousel moving on the basepaths.

"I've been working on my speed training, so hopefully it'll be a little bit better this year," Rutherford said. "I think it's a really important part, getting on base and then getting into scoring position, especially for whoever's next in the lineup, especially Anne Booth. She's an amazing hitter. Hopefully if I get on and I get into scoring position, she can score me and hopefully give us a better chance of winning."