Wayne State College softball starting pitcher, Kennadi Borngrebe threw the first no-hitter for the Wildcats since 2016 against Augustana on April 7.
Although there is no listed record for how many no-hitters that have been thrown at the Division II level, you cannot deny the success and willpower Borngrebe has endured since her injury with cubital tunnel syndrome in 2024.
Cubital tunnel syndrome, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is when the ulnar nerve gets compromised or irritated at the inside of your elbow. Very similar to Tommy John surgery in terms of injury, procedure and recovery however much more painful.
This makes the moment even more special for Borngrebe, after being able to bounce back from one of the most difficult injuries to deal with as a pitcher and throwing with pure dominance.
“I felt unbelievably accomplished,” Borngrebe said. “When I was dealing with my elbow, I had no idea if I was going to be able to pitch a ball again. I felt that all of my hard work and struggles the years before had prepared me for that moment. I truly believe that having to take a step back for injury made me appreciate the game and gave me extra motivation to compete at a high level.”
This has been a full circle moment, pun absolutely intended, for both Borngrebe and Head Coach Christy Warnock.
“I’m just so proud of her. To see the emotions that she went through that year… and then she comes into last year and has an exceptional year and is building on that year this year, it really is just a show of her work ethic.” Coach Warnock said. “She’s just going to find a way to continue to up her level. We knew going into this year that there was going to be a no-hitter this year.”
If you’re a person in sports, you understand that not only is the physical aspect tough to recover from physically, but injury can also create a mental toll for an athlete.
“The most difficult challenge mentally in the circle after dealing with an injury was trust,” Borngrebe said. “I had a huge mental block when it came to trusting my body again.”
“The most difficult challenge physically in the circle was conditioning and relearning how to throw again. Since my ulnar nerve got moved in my elbow, my arm felt extremely foreign to me.” Borngrebe said.
Coach Warnock said it has been fascinating to see Borngrebe overcome that mental barrier.
“Sometimes, especially with physical injuries, the hardest thing to come back from is the mental fear of that,” Warnock said. “We experienced some of that with her, and there were some games where you could just see it on her face. The thing about Kennadi is when you draw her attention to something she will eradicate that weakness as quickly as she can. It’s just how she’s built.”
Injuries are a very emotional part of an athlete’s career. The only thing that can take their ability and talent away in the blink of an eye is an injury.
“My emotions motivated me the most throughout my recovery.” Borngrebe said. “I used every ounce of pain I felt not as something to continue to tear me apart, but as a reason to keep going. I knew how much I loved the game of softball and knew that I didn’t want my career to end with me giving up on myself.”
Borngrebe in 2026 has an earned run average of 1.55, which puts her in third amongst all NSIC pitchers in that category. She has also racked up 161 strikeouts in 126.1 innings pitched. Borngrebe also has 13 complete games on the year, all of which resulted in a victory for the ace and the Wildcats.
