By: Austin Siegel
Here's the only thing Christina Baxter knows for sure - when the Wildcats are playing, she's got to be out there.
K-State has competed in 57 matches since Baxter arrived on campus in 2017. She hasn't missed one.
These days, Baxter spends most of her time at Buser Family Park or at her apartment in Manhattan, with the team mostly grounded in a COVID 19-adjusted season.
She even misses the bus rides, where Baxter said she made some of her favorite memories as a Wildcat.
That's why K-State Soccer's first road trip of the season to West Virginia last month was so exciting.
"I told my Mom, it's like a really big outing for me," Baxter said. "At this point, we're stuck in the hotel, so we have to find fun things to do. We're doing a lot of team building and it's a really good way to bring us together."
Baxter and the Wildcats have played three matches in 2020, following a schedule that's been one more opponent for K-State Soccer to deal with in a season of pandemic precautions.
The season opener was supposed to be against Texas Tech, until they played Oklahoma State. The third match of the season would have been against TCU, but that game was postponed.
It's an uncertain time to be sure, but it's nothing new for Baxter.
"When I came in as a freshman, everything was new for K-State Soccer. We didn't really know what to expect," Baxter said. "Now, as a senior, I have almost four years of experience and we have a better understanding of how games are going to go and what it's like in the Big 12. I think it's changed for the better."
When the Wildcats began recruiting Baxter, the program was just a coaching staff with a vision for what K-State Soccer could become.
There was no history. No stadium. Head Coach Mike Dibbini needed players who were willing to take a chance.
"The rules have changed a little bit since then, but I identified Christina right after we announced the program and I took the job," Dibbini said. "She was a sophomore in high school. We were excited for her to verbally commit, but I can't believe that was back in 2015."
Growing up in Papillion, Nebraska across the Kansas border, Baxter was an all-state player at Bellevue West High School. She bagged 26 goals as a forward for the Thunderbirds, the kind of numbers that don't exactly scream "position change."
Since Baxter arrived in Manhattan, she's been a plug-and-play contributor for the Wildcats at just about every spot on the field.
Her first match at K-State remains her career high for minutes, as Baxter went the full 90 - plus five minutes - against Oregon State to help the Wildcats grab a point on the road.
Since then, her K-State Soccer media guide entries all begin with Baxter's perfect attendance.
2017: Played in all 18 matches…
2018: Played in all 18 matches…
2019 Played in all 18 matches...
A college career built on versatility wasn't something Baxter expected after playing most of her youth and high school soccer as a forward.
"To be able to incorporate playing forward and in the defense after we switched formations a little bit last year, I think it's changed me for the better," Baxter said. "It's crazy because coming in as a freshman, I thought I would be a forward."
In a perfect world, Dibbini might play Baxter in the top three every night, where the K-State head coach said she's had the most success in her college career.
Her first goal came on her debut in Manhattan, with a header against Omaha – her hometown school. Baxter called it the moment she felt like she arrived at K-State, but the senior has proven throughout her career that she doesn't need to score goals to impact a match.
That means her head coach can get Baxter on the field where she can most help the team.
"Her work rate is one of those areas that you don't have to talk to her about," Dibbini said. "She works every single practice and every single game. She has deceptive ability at creating her own shot and creating offensive chances for her teammates. And she's been here from day one."
Approaching the halfway point of her senior year, Baxter has been busy mentoring the next generation of Wildcats – including those from her hometown and the Omaha suburbs.
"I'm really close with Maddie Weichel and Mo [Gohr] because we played at the same club and we had the same coach," she said. "But all the freshmen are stepping up and doing really well."
K-State began the 2020 season with three matches against NCAA Tournament teams from 2019, the kind of start that would be unthinkable with a full non-conference slate.
Baxter has played at least 60 minutes in all three matches for the Wildcats, leading the team in shot attempts against Oklahoma State. And as a team, K-State has battled.
In their last match with No. 6 Kansas, the Wildcats ended the game with the higher expected goal total in a 1-0 loss to the Jayhawks, according to the inStat! numbers.
"We've been focusing on intensity and execution in the box," Baxter said. "Working hard for each other on the field is really important as well. Everything else will come along with that."
With six matches left on the schedule, the Wildcats are still writing their 2020 story – like everything else this year, the future beyond those next six games isn't entirely clear.
Even so, there might actually be one more thing Baxter knows for sure.
She's going to come back to Manhattan one day, maybe for Alumni Night, and celebrate with the seniors who were part of building a Big 12 soccer program from scratch.
"They'll say our senior class was one of the first to spend four years with K-State Soccer," Baxter said. "Whatever position I'm in this season, I'm just going to try to make the best out of it and realize that I'm on the field and I'm having a good time…I get to play for a D1 soccer program."
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