Oregon’s COVID Refugee was Idaho’s Best Softballer—Twice
Former South Salem player Delaney Keith left state during pandemic
At the end of her sophomore year in 2019-20 at South Salem High School, Delaney Keith had a lot of buzz surrounding her efforts in sports. She had had a solid season in basketball for the Lady Saxons, and was one of the top performers for South’s normally competitive softball team.
All signs pointed to another great athletics year for Delaney in 2020-21. But then, COVID 19 came to the planet—and American life would not be the same again. Businesses were shutdown, schools shuttered, and masks worn by everyone in an effort to limit spread of the virus. Also impacted by the pandemic—sports seasons everywhere and at all levels. In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown and her staff put most of the normal prep sports seasons on hold, with tentative promises of abbreviated seasons later on. For Delaney and her family, that decision was greeted with regret and relatively quick action. Delaney, her parents, and her brother and sister—all packed up and moved to Idaho, where prep sports were being played as slated.
To be clear, the Keith family does have ties to Idaho, having lived there when Delaney was a toddler. They also had been talking about returning to the Gem State for a while.
“My dad got a job there (in Idaho), which cemented the decision to move back,” says Delaney.
“I didn’t really want to move before the pandemic or even later… I loved South Salem… but once the pandemic hit---I said ‘I am kinda tired of this.’”
Delaney and her family moved to Idaho near the end first semester—relocating to the town of Nampa and Skyview High School, where the softball team was coached by family friend, Tim Souza.
“My dad coached with him at Northwest Nazarene University when we lived (in Idaho) before,” explains Delaney. “I’ve known (Coach Souza) almost my entire life.”
Oregon’s sports shutdown had prevented Delaney from playing basketball, so she had continued to work on her softball skills as an athletic shortstop. The pandemic shutdown in Oregon gave her few options.
“I couldn’t see any of my friends,” recalls Delaney. “My friends and their family members were cautious (about the virus.)”
Despite moving away from a large group of friends in Oregon, Delaney quickly reconnected with the people and the sports scene in Idaho.
“The competition in Idaho was better overall than in Oregon,” she states bluntly. “That and my focus on just softball helped me to adjust.”
Delaney’s determination was evident as she and her Skyview teammates won a play-in game to make the 2021 state tournament, then ran the table to win the 5A championship 14-8. Delaney was 3-4 in the title contest with three RBIs, and she was named Idaho’s Gatorade Softball Player of the Year. Not bad for a team that finished 23-8.
In 2022, Skyview was targeted as the defending champions with a deep returning roster. And the Hawks didn’t disappoint. Although they had to play two games for the title—they prevailed over rival Owyhee 4-3 and 9-4. Delaney’s senior season was monstrous as she was named Idaho’s top softballer for a second straight season. She batted .596 with 51 RBIs, 13 home runs and a state-best 73 runs scored. Delaney also struck out just four times and stole 18 bases on the season. Her team finished the year with a 30-2 record.
The two magical seasons helped to confirm for Delaney that she and her family had made the right decision to leave Oregon, as painful as it had been at the time.
“This was a good move for me,” she admits. “I love Idaho more than Oregon in general… like the people, the weather… just better overall.”
These days, Delaney is living on the South Carolina coast outside of Myrtle Beach—attending school and playing softball for Division I Coastal Carolina University. She is listed as a utility player for the Chanticleers. Fall ball practices and classes are her focus these days. She is enjoying the shift to college, and likes Coastal Carolina—a school that pursued her for several years prior to her formal commitment.
So if, per chance, you happen to catch Coastal Carolina softball on television this coming spring, remember Delaney Keith and her strong ties to Oregon and South Salem High School. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted move her out of Oregon, but she has plenty of the state still inside her.
TERM OF NOTE: Chanticleers—the mascot of Coastal Carolina—is a fancy word for “roosters.” The term comes from English writer Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.