ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- It's a pop music classic by a Minnesota music icon.
 
But while "When Doves Cry" was a smash hit for Prince when it was released as the lead single from the late superstar's "Purple Rain" soundtrack in May of 1984, that was 42 years ago.

 

So it seems a bit of an unexpected choice as a walk-up song for a college senior in 2026. Yet it's one that holds deep meaning for College of Saint Benedict softball standout Olivia Van Hout.
 
"My mom is absolutely obsessed with Prince," the Mahtomedi High School graduate explained. "I mean, she's a huge fan. She's had some health issues that we went through as a family over the past few years, and I wanted to make sure she knew I was thinking of her – even when she couldn't be at a lot of my games in person. When she was watching on the live stream, she'd hear that song, and she'd know she was right there with me at the plate."
 
Jennifer Van Hout went into cardiac arrest in 2018. That was followed by a battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome starting in 2022, Olivia's first year at CSB. The condition, at its worst, left her unable to walk for a time.
 
She's rallied though, and her recovery has come far enough that she's been able to attend a good share of Van Hout's games during her senior season this spring.
 
"She is 110 percent my biggest supporter, and with everything she's had to go through, it means so much to look up and see her in the stands now," said Van Hout, the middle child of the family's three daughters.  And my dad (Dave) has been there every single moment, no matter what else has been going on. So to be able to share the success we've had this season with them is a special thing. I know how proud they are of me," she continued. "And it warms my heart having them both there in person cheering me on."
 
There's certainly been a lot to cheer about this season.
 -
Van Hout has been a huge part of that success. The team's lead-off hitter boasts a .376 batting average with 35 runs scored and is a team-best 21-for-22 on stolen base attempts for the Bennies, ranked No. 19 in DIII with a 22-game winning streak..
 
"It's been an amazing ride, and the biggest thing for me is that I've had a chance to share it with all the people I've wanted to share something like this with," Van Hout said. "I've never been part of a team so close-knit before. We came together to do this not just for ourselves, but for each other. That's made it 10 times better.It hasn't set in for me yet that we've actually made history. Right now, I think we're all just so excited to get to keep going and take another step on this journey."
 
Van Hout said the close bonds she's formed with her teammates and coaches helped a great deal when her family was going through the difficult times.
 
"It was 10 times harder because I was away from home and away from my family," she said. "But I know I can tell any one of these girls anything and they can do the same with me. We all have each other's backs. There were times when I was dealing with some mental things because of what was going on at home, and that had an impact on my confidence in practice or in games. But my teammates were always there for me. That made it easier to get through everything."
 
Van Hout's 73 stolen bases rank second in school history, trailing only Kate Deming's school record 94 from 2016 to 2019.
 
"She has great instincts on the bases," CSB head coach Rachael Click said. "She's lightning fast, which makes a big difference, and she knows how to get herself into a position that allows her to be safe. When she gets on base, the percentage of times she's able to score is super high."
 
But Van Hout's larceny isn't limited to the base paths. She's also a talented center fielder who's able to use her speed to rob the opposition of either hits or extra bases.
 
"In my opinion, she's one of the best center fielders in the country," Click said. "She has insane range and she makes great reads on the ball. She covers so much ground that she steals doubles away from hitters pretty regularly. I work with the outfielders every day in practice, and the balls I have to hit to challenge her are in a different league. Just having her out there provides a huge weapon for us defensively. You don't see her dive for many balls because she doesn't need to. She can trust in her speed and athletic ability to make plays."
 
Van Hout has trusted her own instincts when it comes to planning her future career path too. The exercise and heath science major plans to attend physical therapy (PT) school at Concordia-St. Paul starting this fall.
 
It's a calling solidified in her own mind after watching all her mother endured, and seeing the impact medical professionals around her had on her recovery.
 
"I already knew I wanted to major in something healthcare related," she said. "But then my mom got sick and I spent that summer at home while she went through physical and occupational therapy. She actually had a physical therapist who came to our house and went through her exercises with her. Her name was Lindsay and she was always so incredibly encouraging."
 
"After every session, my mom would be smiling and raving about how amazing she was," Van Hout continued. "That was the first time I truly realized how much impact a physical therapist can have on other people's lives and journeys. It kind of crystallized the direction I wanted to go in my future."
 
That future will come eventually. But for now, Van Hout is focused on doing everything she can to keep the memories coming in an already-historic season for CSB.
 
"This team can go all the way," she said. "I really believe that. There's so much talent on this roster and it keeps coming out again and again and again. No one here is ready to stop yet. We want to take each other as far as we possibly can."