Grant’s Shelby Wasilewski stumbled upon her likely college major in situations she would have liked to avoid.
Wasilewski has suffered a number of injuries that required physical therapy during her softball career, and she slowly developed an appreciation for the work involved in helping her.
“Getting injured is what led me to what I want to do with my future career,” she said. “I did it kind of backward, but I now know what I want to do with my life.”
Wasilewski, a senior pitcher who has committed to play softball at Division II Montana State-Billings and is planning to major in health and human performance, turned a negative into a positive.
“My injuries definitely exposed me to the field,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to help people — also help people get better. I just never knew how. I saw the athletic field was a place I could stay in the field. I really enjoy helping people.”
Wasilewski, a softball-only athlete, received an early introduction to helping athletes in the fall. She started assisting Grant’s athletic trainers at football games, giving her a chance to see what it’s like working with athletes during games and get some tips that can help her avoid further injuries.
“I got to see firsthand what trainers do when athletes get hurt,” she said. “I would go on the field and then see how they treated athletes and evaluate an injury. I learned how to tape ankles and wrists. It was nice to get that experience. Now I’ve been able to see that side. I know how important it is to heal from injuries before getting back to playing.”
Playing is something Wasilewski already does well. Her solid pitching and big bat last season powered the Bulldogs to their first regional title since 1996.
In a 4-0 win against Jacobs in a Class 4A regional championship game, Wasilewski allowed four singles, didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine in an 88-pitch gem. She also hit a single and a double in three at-bats.
Grant coach Chris Van Alstine said Wasilewski is a rare college-bound, two-way player for the program.
“She took some lumps on varsity in her sophomore year,” Van Alstine said. “She had to see what it was like pitching against older girls. She made a huge jump last year.”
Wasilewski, who led the Bulldogs in batting average, hits, walks, RBIs and nearly every pitching category, decided not to play travel softball in the fall to rest her body and build her strength.
“I worked entirely on my pitching all fall and winter,” she said. “I’ve really seen an improvement this year. I gained a new pitch, started using a drop ball. I also feel more comfortable with my change-up.
“It was difficult taking time off. I wanted to play, but I really enjoyed working out and spending more time outside softball.”
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Wasilewski’s pitching and hitting for the Bulldogs (5-4) so far this season reflect her extra work. In her first 22 innings in the circle, Wasilewski hadn’t allowed an earned run and had struck out 35 of the 90 batters she faced. She was hitting .520 with four doubles, two triples and seven RBIs.
Wasilewski, who has a 4.9 weighted GPA, is looking to close out her career with another stirring finish.
“The whole team is excited about this year,” she said. “We all want to do well.”
Van Alstine said the Bulldogs can go far with Wasilewski.
“We have the ability to take the next step after the regional championship with 11 seniors back and behind Shelby’s pitching,” Van Alstine said. “Shelby is playing at a different level this year. It’s crazy how effortless she looks. She’s taken it a step up from last year.
“It’s a lot of fun to watch her. She’s not pressing nor trying to do too much. She looks relaxed.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
