Over the summer, Wright City fourth grader Mikayla Condray was selected to be the MLB’s Play ball Player of the Month. As she hopped on a video chat to be interviewed, little did she know the excitement had only just started. 

Before the call, Condray was a ball of nerves and believed she was just being interviewed to be the ball player of the month. However, not only was she selected, her parents knew even more information that Condray had yet to learn. 

At the end of the call, Condray was told she would receive tickets to the 2024 World Series. Instantly, Condray bursted into a smile ear to ear and could not believe it. 

“I was really surprised and excited,” Condray said. 

Condray started playing softball when she was around seven years old. Her love for the sport stemmed from her father, who played baseball growing up. She noted her dad is always encouraging her to go out and play and they even have a whole pitching area setup in their basement. 

Condray plays on first base, third base and she pitches. She said playing third base is her favorite and she enjoys hitting. She loves rooting for the Mizzou softball team and of course, the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Conrday stays busy with her softball schedule, playing for the Wright City Wildcats and Illusions. Whenever her teammates make a mistake, Condray tells them, “It’s okay, it’s okay. We can do it anyway.” 

Linda Condray, her mother, noted softball has really helped her come out of her shell, form new friendships and shown her how hard work can lead to improvement. 

“She’s just there to have fun. She doesn’t care if they win. She doesn’t care if they lose,” Linda Condray said. 

Condray’s love for softball led her to a place most people dream of: the World Series. Traveling on a plane for the first time, Condray and her dad watched game two of the World Series unfold right in front of them in Los Angeles. 

Condray originally wanted to root for the New York Yankees, but after taking in all of the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium environment, she changed her mind. 

Condray had the experience of a lifetime. She participated in a Play Ball event, watched game one with the rest of the kids, she walked on the field and was honored during pregame, met one of her favorite athletes, Jennie Finch and was fed tons of ice cream and delicious food. 

“We played a mini game, we played catch, we hit, we practiced throwing and we ran around the bases,” Condray said. 

Being honored on the field was both “scary and fun” for Condray because of all the cameras. Despite having gone to a few MLB games before, Condray said this one was more exciting because there were a lot more people. 

In addition, Condray received an endless amount of mementos to remember the day, such as a ball signed by Finch, multiple World Series T-shirts, a Dodgers bobblehead, baseball cards, a Nike backpack and traditional baseball sweat towels. 

At the end of her experience, Condray said she had fun and was excited to be there. 

“She really fell in love with softball and she’s just all about it,” Linda Condray said. “She puts in so much work and wants to improve. At the end of practice, she always runs over and tells the coaches thank you for the time that spent with us and I think that’s kind of unusual for an nine year old to always be thinking like that.”