Performance: Mercy's Abby Krzywiecki
May 4, 2016
Abby Krzywiecki
Farmington Hills Mercy senior – Softball
Krzywiecki appears in the MHSAA softball record book eight times – and that doesn’t include the incredible numbers she’s putting up again in this, her final high school season. This spring she’s hitting .464 with eight home runs and 38 RBI in 17 games – and she had the winning hits in both games of Friday's 2-1, 5-2 sweep of reigning Division 1 champion Warren Regina to earn the Michigan National Guard Performance of the Week.
The senior first baseman dropped a bloop single to drive home the winning run in the sixth inning of the first game, then drilled an opposite-field three-run homer in the first inning of the second to lead the No. 2-ranked Marlins, who now sit 16-1 this season after advancing to the Division 1 Semifinals a year ago. Regina had beaten Mercy in three straight games, but the Marlins now have control in the Detroit Catholic League Central race.
Krzywiecki’s 36 career home runs in 109 games over the last four seasons rank seventh on the MHSAA career list, and she should climb at least a few more spots as she pursues the record of 49. She ranks 13th currently with 182 RBI and has a .497 career batting average, and she’s also 43-5 pitching over her varsity career. Krzywiecki committed to play collegiately at South Alabama as a sophomore and is interested in studying business.
Coach Alec Lesko said: “As a senior and four-year starter, Abby has become a tremendous leader. Both on and off the field, Abby has shown character that helps make everyone around her better. Recently, off the field, Abby was walking the halls of Mercy High School and saw a teammate underclassmen all stressed out. Of course, Abby asked, ‘What was wrong?’ Apparently this young lady was having a tough time with a big assignment. Abby immediately stopped what she was doing and helped find the right resources and people, other teammates, to assist this fellow student to understand and complete this assignment. When I heard of this, I was by no means surprised. Abby does this all the time on the field! She has a calming effect with the team, (and) she helps younger players at practice as well as games. She is perhaps the biggest cheerleader in encouraging everyone all the time. Abby's own work ethic and dedication to her softball life is evident during games. Her stats speak for themselves. Abby is getting an incredible amount of attention this season with awards, scholarship opportunities, and top player awards and people to watch. This could be a difficult distraction to deal with, and Abby has taken it all in stride. … Abby, along with our other two senior captains, are bringing this team closer together.”
Performance Point: “I had a day when I was off (April 26 against Livonia Ladywood), so I went home and worked harder than I had in a while. I knew Regina would be a roadblock, so I worked hard to be the best player I could be not for myself but for my team. It’s not about getting my stats higher, but getting base runners in position to score for the team. I thought more about placing the ball, not hitting it as far as I can but as hard as I can. I’ve learned to not swing for the fences; if you swing hard enough with a perfect swing, it’s going to out, and I’m getting better at that mentality.”
Work pays: “To be able to see the results of my hard work paying off is pretty incredible. To know the feeling that I wasn’t wasting my time, that if I had to miss a social event, go to practice or a tournament … the numbers like the records I’ve achieved, wow – look what I can do if I set my mind to something. It blows me away how well I did just because of the support of my team, my family and my coaches, and I’m working harder than ever. It’s reassuring to know if you work really hard at something you love – softball is one of the priorities in my life – to know that if you have to miss out on things, it comes out to be the best thing for you. I’ve noticed that throughout high school.”
Sounding off: Krzywiecki’s teammates often catch her making a clicking sound with her mouth – she mentally prepares by trying to imitate the sound of the ball coming off her bat. “When I’m walking up there, you can hear me or I might do it before game one (of a doubleheader). If I’m struggling, you can see me doing it a couple of times; I’m trying to get the sound of the bat perfectly; especially with my bat, I can tell when I hit it perfectly. A lot of these girls are my best friends, and they know if I’m making that clicking noise, they let it go.”
Unfinished business: “We’re just super excited about how much potential we have. We have a lot of talent, but we have even more chemistry and teamwork and positivity. We have a great attitude, and when you have great human beings surrounding you, you’re excited to keep pushing forward to see how good you can get. It’s unrealistic to think we’ll win every single game, especially in an unpredictable sport like this, but it will be fun to see how far we get together.”
Passport ready: “I’m thinking business (at South Alabama), but I’m really into the entertainment industry. So I’m interested in working at Universal (Studios), behind the scenes there, or in international business because I like to travel. I’ve been to over half the states, I went to Paris when I was younger, obviously Canada, Hawaii twice, and Boulder, Colorado, which is my favorite place in the world. And my family is planning a trip to Italy in two summers for my parents’ anniversary. I’m comfortable being uncomfortable … so I just love to travel.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2015-16 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom, or protecting lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2015-16 honorees
April 27: Mike Mokma, Holland Christian baseball - Read
April 20: Abby Divozzo, Cadillac girls soccer - Read
March 30: Cassius Winston, Detroit U-D Jesuit boys basketball - Read
March 23: Kierra Fletcher, Warren Cousino girls basketball - Read
March 16: Jacob Montague, Grosse Pointe South swimming & diving - Read
March 9: Kyle Tuttle, St. Charles boys bowling - Read
March 2: Brittney Schnicke, Caledonia girls bowling - Read
Feb. 24: Kamari Newman, Detroit East English boys basketball - Read
Feb. 17: Jason Whitens, Powers North Central boys basketball - Read
Feb. 10: Rachel Hogan, Grand Ledge gymnastics - Read
Feb. 3: Nehemiah Mork, Midland Dow swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 27: Mardrekia Cook, Muskegon girls basketball - Read
Jan. 20: Sage Castillo, Hartland wrestling - Read
Jan. 13: Rob Zofchak, Dexter swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 6: Tyler Deming, Caro wrestling – Read
Dec. 15: Jordan Weber, East Jordan boys basketball – Read
Dec. 8: Kaitlyn Geers, Kent City girls basketball – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Farmington Hills Mercy's Abby Krzywiecki is greeted at home plate by her teammates after a home run. (Middle) Krzywiecki powers through another swing. (Photos courtesy of the Mercy athletic department and Krzywiecki family.)
'No Superstars' Reeths-Puffer Undefeated, County Tournament Favorite Entering May
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
May 1, 2024
Natalie Kunnen is in her fourth year as a varsity softball player for Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, but she has never experienced anything remotely close to this team’s vibe.
Not only are the Rockets unbeaten at 20-0-1, but no deficit seems too big to overcome.
Puffer rallied to beat Holton and later scratched out a tie with Allendale, then last week pulled a rabbit out of their hat twice in one night – coming back from a four-run deficit in the opener and a nine-run deficit in the nightcap in an improbable sweep at powerhouse Muskegon Oakridge.
“I walked out of Oakridge just stunned and asking myself, ‘Who are we?’” said Kunnen, who swings one of the biggest bats in the lineup with three home runs and 22 RBIs. “There is a completely different feel this year.”
Who are these Rockets?
They remained a rare unbeaten more than one month into the season after a sweep of host Grand Rapids Union on Tuesday, setting the stage for a doubleheader tonight at state power Hudsonville, followed by Saturday’s Greater Muskegon Athletic Association Tier 1 tournament – where the Rockets are both the host and the No. 1 seed.
They are a team devoid of a superstar, but also without a weak link.
“We don’t have an easy out in our lineup, 1 through 9, and that is something that makes us unique,” said coach Sarah Bayle, 28, a 2013 Reeths-Puffer graduate who went on to play at Muskegon Community College and Ferris State.
“We have speed that we try to use to our advantage and three different pitchers who all bring something different.”
The Rockets adopted that “no superstars” mantra earlier this season after athletic director Cliff Sandee stopped by a practice and gave the huddled team an impromptu pep talk.
“He have us our motto: ‘It’s not who’s best on the team, it’s who’s best for the team,’” said junior pitcher and first baseman Mady Snyder. “We really believe that. We have a lot of grit. There is not one person on this team who gives up and says we’re done.”
Puffer sprints out of the gate behind the speedy trio of Kaylee Jones, Lainey McDaniel and Abbie Critchett at the top of the order – a threesome who have 61 of the team’s 90 stolen bases.
That trio sets the stage for the big bats of Snyder (three home runs and a team-best 26 RBIs), Kunnen, Megan Barnes and Kyleigh Bilek.
Puffer, which has outscored its opponents 216-53, is batting .406 as a team, with eight of the 13 players batting .400 or better. Leaders in that category are McDaniel at .558 and Snyder with .474.
The Rockets have played in only one tournament thus far, winning April 20 at Hamilton.
Bayle, who is officially in her fifth year as R-P’s coach but looks at it as her fourth year after COVID wiped out the 2020 season, said one of the turning points in the program came at the start of the 2021 campaign.
“We brought up four freshmen to the varsity, which is something that just wasn’t done much here,” said Bayle, who is assisted on the varsity by Kat Hyder, Sydney Recknagel, Scott Huebler and Chris Bilek. “That sparked a new reality. It doesn’t matter what year you are, you can’t slack off or someone could take your place.”
Those four freshmen are now the team’s only four seniors – Kunnen, Jones, Barnes and Emme Buzzell.
The closest thing to a star for the Rockets this spring has been McDaniel, a crafty left-handed pitcher who has a 0.85 ERA in 41 innings of work. Her improvement from freshman year to this spring as a sophomore has been remarkable, Bayle said, and a big reason for the remarkable start.
McDaniel and Jersi Bilek are the sophomores on the varsity roster, which also includes freshman Tessa Ross. The future looks bright as R-P also boasts an unbeaten junior varsity team, coached by Cody Jacobs.
Bayle, who is seven months pregnant with her second child, knows that much tougher challenges lie ahead, starting with Wednesday’s showdown at Hudsonville (a team which she believes R-P has never beaten in softball).
One of the team’s biggest goals this spring is to win this Saturday’s county tournament and then the Division 1 District, two tournaments which haven’t been kind to the Rockets in recent years.
This year, Puffer goes into the county tournament as the heavy favorite in its pool, with big wins over fellow Pool 1 teams Muskegon Mona Shores and Holton. Should they emerge from that group, the Rockets would likely face revenge-minded Oakridge or two-time reigning county champion Ravenna.
“We haven’t done good in the county, and haven’t made the finals in the past three years,” said Kunnen. “We’ve been really young, but this year we have a lot of juniors and seniors and a lot of leadership.
“I can’t even tell you how amazing it would be to win it my senior year.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Madi Snyder delivers a pitch for the Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, which has been led by the 1-2 pitching duo of Snyder and Lainey McDaniel. (Middle) Rockets coach Sarah Bayle has guided her team to an 18-0-1 start, with many of the wins coming in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion. (Below) McDaniel slides safely into second base during a game against Allendale. (Photos by Joe Lane.)