On Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, Quakertown seniors Abbey Wagner & Ava Beal were recognized for committing to play softball at the collegiate level.
Ava Beal – University of Albany (Softball)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Albany, Rhode Island, Furman, Providence, St. Joseph’s
Reasons for choosing Albany: “The coaches are amazing people, it feels like home, and I love the location and campus.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “When I was little, I always knew I wanted to play college softball. The recruiting process started Sept. 1 of my junior year. I wanted to keep my options open until I knew I found the school that was best for me.”
Coach Chris Vanelli says: “My first memories of Ava were when my daughter first started playing softball, and I got into coaching. One fixture at the RASA Fields when we were practicing as a team was little Ava on the side pitching constantly throughout all our practices and then running onto the field with her friends to play after we got off the field at practice. To be able to have Ava come up to the high school and to be able to coach her was truly a privilege. She is an exceptional player, and she’s an exceptional person. Coach and I used to discuss all the time – the team always went how Ava went. If Ava did well, we did well. If Ava had a bad day, we had a bad day. She was the spark that got our team going and led us to two state playoff appearances which had not been done before, so that’s a credit to her. Ava is the epitome of what’s good in high school and collegiate athletics. She’s a really talented individual, she’s a great person, and she works so hard. For her to find a school that fits her personality and fits her style is truly wonderful. I was so excited to hear she was going to Albany because she’s going to have a great time there. Not only are they getting an exceptional athlete who was all-league and all-state player, they’re getting a good academic student, but most importantly, they’re getting a really great person.”
Newtown Rock coach Dan Santelli says: “We first met Ava when she was 10 or 11 years old. Her sister Lauren also played on our team in our organization. Ava used to hang around the cages and hit and pitch. She came up through our program, played 14U on our National Team, played two years on our 16U National team and now two years on our 18U team. Travel softball is about as big a commitment as anyone can get. We were in Texas playing one weekend, and we (went) to California the next weekend to play, so there’s a high level of commitment. It’s not for everybody. She’s on a team with 14 other D1 commits, so it’s not so easy to always get on the field. It takes the right kind of player willing to compete for playing time. In high school, Ava plays shortstop. In travel ball, she’s a utility player. She plays infield, outfield wherever she’s needed on a given day, so she’s a great team player, very committed, a good teammate. I can’t say enough about her and her family. They’ve been part of our organization for a long time. Congratulations, Ava. I know you’ll be really successful at Albany. She’s well-prepared for it, and she’ll be able to go in right away and make an impact there.”
About Ava:
Favorite food: Caesar Salad
Favorite TV show: Bachelor in Paradise
Favorite artist: Drake
Abbey Wagner – Kutztown University (Softball)
Majors: Psychology/Art
Final list of colleges: Kutztown, Moravian, Wilmington (Del.), Elizabethtown, Purchase College
Reasons for choosing Kutztown: “It had my majors, the softball team is very good, the campus is beautiful, and I love the location. There are a lot of opportunities at Kutztown.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I started at a young age playing softball, and many coaches taught me along the way on how to play mentally and physically. I thought of playing softball in college when I was around eighth grade. I always wanted to and strived to get noticed by any college that was looking for players. I started the recruiting process the beginning of my junior year. I posted videos and pictures on Instagram and Twitter to get noticed by coaches around the country who could be interested. I also made a business card for colleges when I went to clinics.”
Coach Eric Medlin says: “If I had to pick a word about Abbey it is her competitiveness. We have seen through the years that teams come in and look at her stature and think ‘This skinny little kid is not going to get me out.’ She’s quickly overlooked because of that, and the next thing you know – she’s sitting them down, she’s striking them out. It’s the competitive drive. It’s amazing. She quickly erases any doubters with that. I had the privilege of coaching Abbey two years at jayvee, and then she played at the varsity level. Just seeing her growth over the years, I know she worked so hard to get to where she is now. I would see her and her dad almost every day at the RASA Fields. It’s a lot of hard work coming into this. She’s had over 500 strikeouts already in her career. Amazingly, that’s in three seasons, so she still has another year to go. Five hundred strikeouts is a benchmark for a great career, and she’s already got that. It’s amazing what she’s been able to accomplish.
“Throughout the years, I’ve had several umpires and coaches tell me – this is the best pitcher they’ve seen. I was told that at jayvee. Even last year, I had coaches come up to me and tell me – that kid is unbelievable. Above all, Abbey is a great teammate. Her teammates will attest to that, but it’s her hunger to compete. She’s also very humble, and that’s what makes her a great teammate. She’s hungry and humble. She genuinely cares about the success of her teammates. Abbey gets excited when one of her teammates does well. She won’t be the first one to take credit when she’s doing well. She’ll credit her teammates, she’ll credit her catcher. She’s awesome, and that’s why all her teammates love her. I’m excited about her upcoming season. Kutztown is getting a great one – a special person, a special player.”
About Abbey:
Favorite food: Perogies
Favorite movie: Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse
Favorite artist: Slim Shady
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