Every young athlete fantasizes about it. Bases loaded. Down three runs. Last inning. Two strikes. Gone. Champions.

Maggie Hull, Free State High sophomore softball star, could fulfill that dream this weekend in Wichita, where the Firebirds are among eight teams competing for the Class 6A state championship. Even if she does, it would be difficult to make the case it would be her most important home run. She already hit that one.

Hull has one home run in two years at Free State. It was a big one, even though I would have to check the archives to see who won the game. It’s beside the point.

What she did after hitting that home run against Friday’s first-round opponent, Shawnee Mission West, on May 1 speaks to the soundness of her upbringing, the sweetness of her spirit, and the strength of bonding that takes place when a team becomes more than an on-field winning machine.

Coach Pam Pine’s son, Brett Stanclift, is a very important part of this particular team. His role?

“He’s our No. 1 fan,” Maggie Hull said. “He sits right by the dugout every game.”

A sophomore at Free State, Stanclift has special needs that come with cerebral palsy. Sitting next to him at that game a few weeks ago, Rob Hull, father of twin teammates Maggie and Rosie, told Brett that if Maggie hit a home run, the ball was his. The father must have felt a big fly coming from the daughter, who had hit two out last summer.

“My dad got the ball, came over to me and said I should give it to Brett,” Maggie said. “I loved the idea right away. I thought, ‘Why not? It’ll happen again. This means way more to him than it means to me.’ I put the date on it and signed it to our No. 1 fan.”

It meant even more to the coach, who after all is a mother first, last and always. Pine first heard of the gesture when, between games as the players were snacking, her husband, Jay Pine said, “Wasn’t that nice of Maggie to give Brett her home run ball?”

Pam first looked through the tears at her son clutching the ball, with which he slept that night, and then cut a direct path to Maggie.

“I gave her a big hug and told her that shows a lot about her character, which I already knew,” Pine said. “It’s little things like that that make coaching special. She was already around second before she even knew it went out. She didn’t get to watch it, and then she gave it away. That was pretty good.”

And not the least bit surprising, Pine said.

“Brett’s in the same class as the Hulls and they took care of him at West (Junior High),” Pine said. “He kind of has a crush on them anyway.”

She cut loose her infectious laugh. Pine has a good time coaching and her players clearly enjoy playing for her. After Wednesday’s practice, she cranked up techno music and danced to it with them.

“It’s really important that after a hard practice, everyone comes together and laughs,” Maggie Hull said. “That’s what makes this season and this team so much fun.”

Said Pine: “I want the girls to have fun, enjoy the game, learn the game, take something from it outside of softball, and have good memories.”

They’re batting a thousand.