As the leaves fall and the air gets crisper, summer is coming to an end. But summer isn’t the only thing ending soon, as seniors Ruby Titus, Brooklynne Costello, and Gigi Miedl prepare to end their high school softball careers.
All three of them will be exiting the sport after this year, choosing not to play in college. They have been playing since they were five, starting with tee ball. They eventually moved onto little league, continuing to play softball in middle school before coming to Central. At Central, Titus, Costello, and Miedl’s first season had a rockier start, as their freshman season was cancelled because of Covid. However, all three girls were able to play sophomore year and continued until now.
“I have always thought of softball as more of a hobby rather than a full-time thing,” Titus said. All three agreed school and academics will take a higher priority, but all also recognize that they love this sport and everything involving it.
“Each team I’ve been on has been like a family to me which makes softball so much more than just the game,” Costello said.
Titus, who has a .500 batting average this season, loves softball for its competition, coaches, and teamwork. “I really like having a challenge and something to work on for myself, and I get that by playing softball,” she said.
Miedl, who has a 0.929 fielding percentage this season, loves softball because it’s easy for everyone to get along and they all acknowledge the impact this sport and the Central team has had on them.
For Costello, who has a 15.89 earned run average this season, meeting new people, working with a team, and improving her communication skills were lessons she will hold forever. Miedl appreciated the connections she was able to make, like meeting new friends and being exposed to good softball players. Learning how to balance multiple activities at once was something Titus said she was grateful to learn. The team not only engraved valuable lessons to them, but they engraved valuable lessons to the team.
“The three seniors I have given max effort at all times and come to compete,” new Head Coach Tashiana Coffiel said. Coffiel said their hard work and motivation set an example for the team. She was ready for them to grow in their senior year. And so were the three of them.
Costello is looking forward to growing her relationships on the team. She hopes this year she can be a more confident player and expand her skills. “[Confidence] has allowed me to play less hesitantly and more efficiently during games,” she said.
Miedl is ready to see how much progress the team has made and how they can improve. She also wants to see herself make progress as a left fielder. Last year, she was out with a concussion for most of the season and she hopes she can improve on getting back to where she was before: not concussed and catching balls.
Titus hopes this season she can be a team leader and advance as the team’s star pitcher. She also looks forward to being with family. “My sister Edie is also on the team, and I look forward to spending time with her,” she said.
Her parents led the little league she played for from elementary to middle school. Then, her father, Ben Titus, became the head coach at Central, and held the reins for a couple of years until he passed the torch to then-assistant coach Coffiel following the 2022-2023 season.
“I have the most amazing memories of playing with my siblings and my dad growing up,” Ruby Titus said. As she and her fellow seniors gear up to leave, they wanted to let the next generation of Central softball players know that they will make mistakes, but that confidence is key.
“All I can really say is go for it,” Costello said. She encouraged everyone to just try and to attempt to make progress every year. Miedl told girls to just have fun. “Softball is a game of failure, and you are bound to make mistakes even simple ones,” she said. Titus encouraged girls to take feedback appropriately and to not limit yourself.
As this softball season begins, the end is on the horizon for these seniors. But “hanging up my cleats after this season,” as Miedl puts it, won’t hang up the memories they made, the lessons they learned, the friendships they created, and the skills they gained.
