Teen wonder

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: April 2, 2008

Brooke Point High School’s Ariel Keidel has been touted as one of the best pitchers in the area, but according to her, it’s her team that allowed her to become the player that she is today.

The 17-year-old junior has played for the Brooke Point softball team for the past three years while continually maintaining standout status. The two-time all-area pick pitched her way to an 11-7 season last year, allowing the team to come in third overall in the district.

“The mistakes that we’ve made last year, we’ve developed those and were still developing to become better,” said Keidel.  “Even the girls who are new to this, we’ve realized their mistakes and are helping them to become better too.”

Brooke Point lost five senior players last year, leaving some large gaps to fill in this year’s line-up. According to Head Coach Megan Hanson, her team has stepped up to the challenge.

“These are the hardest working group of girls out there… these are a very well rounded group of girls… and games, we’ve only had two under our belt so far this season. I hope they’ll come together a little better than they did the past couple, but during practice you will never see any one girl running alone; they are all out there, in it together.”

So far the girls are off to a fifty-fifty start this season, winning their first game against Freedom High School in Woodbridge, 13-1. They went on to lose their second match-up against Albemarle, 4-1. The team was slated to play Potomac High School in Dumfries in an away match-up March 30, but the game was canceled, according to Hanson.

The real test of how these girls have prepared will come on April 11, when they are scheduled to play North Stafford for the first time this season — the team they all have identified as their top rival.

“They’ve got a very competitive team, and we had a really close game with them last year… we lost by one run, and I think it was in the sixth inning,” said Hanson. “I know we want them bad, and I think [Ariel] has it out for them…are they unbeatable? Absolutely not.”

Keidel seems to take her responsibilities in stride, making sure to point out that everyone on the team works just as hard as they play.

“Even though we’re outside the ball field, we still hang out,” said Keidel. “We go to team dinners, or after practice we go out to lunch or somewhere… we’re still friends off of the softball field.”

Keidel said she will go on to play softball in college, but won’t say exactly which schools she is eyeing right now. Because of NCAA rules, the colleges cannot officially begin to court her until July. Until then, Keidel said she plans to stay focused on high school.

“I’ve taken my SATs, I’ve taken some prep classes for the SAT and sometimes I kinda panic on them, but I think I’ll do OK,” said Keidel.

Keidel said she is thinking about taking two advanced placement classes next year, and comments that those classes won’t be as challenging as taking her SATs, because she can look to a supportive group of teammates if she ever needs help.

The team will play at home against Riverbend High School on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The match-up against Potomac has been rescheduled for 4 p.m. on Monday.