ALL-AREA SOFTBALL: Rebels' Haley Brogden named top pitcher

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 23, 2017 7:12 AM

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By RUDY COGGINS

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CALYPSO -- Whenever you play North Duplin, it's best to step into the batter's box with your "thinking helmet" operating on full power.

There's no telling what you'll see.

A knee-high fastball might pop into the glove of Natalie Ramirez.

Or a screwball, with similar movement to a curveball, may entice you to swing only to hear "strike" from the umpire.

Oh, and there's that dreaded off-speed pitch.

"What I did was just execute what I've been practicing in the offseason," said Rebels senior Haley Brogden, who is the 2017 News-Argus All-Area Softball Player-of-the-Year.

"As a starting pitcher, it told me that no matter how good you are, no matter what rank you have, you always have to room to improve. You always have that extra step you can take...something you can work on to make you better and your team better."

Brogden didn't disappoint.

The right-hander hurled four no-hitters and two perfect games -- two accomplishments unmatched by any other pitcher in the News-Argus readership area. She fashioned a 1.35 earned run average (ERA) with 140 strikeouts during 78 innings of work inside the circle.

Headed to Western Carolina in the fall, Brogden (9-3 overall) threw 11 complete games and filed five of the Rebels' 10 shutouts.

"(ND) Coach (Ricky) Edwards did tell me going into the season that it was my year to step up and be a leader," Brogden said. "He said to go out there and show everybody what I could do as well. This season and just like anything in life, he told me it was going to be what I made it.

"I told him I wanted to make it a good season."

But 2017 wasn't just about Brogden.

An experienced team, which won the state 1-A title in 2016, had its sights on defending its coveted championship -- the first in any girls' sport in school history.

In the offseason, Brogden stressed to her teammates they needed to practice hard each day and carry that onto the field during games. North Duplin compiled a 15-3 record, finished runner-up in Carolina 1-A Conference play and lost a season-ending 10-inning affair to Perquimans in the postseason.

"Ridiculous," Brogden said. "The way we lost is just one of those things that you can't control. Going into the season ... you know how North Duplin is -- super strong, super family-oriented. We really wanted to just go out there and grind every day, prove to everybody we could do it again.

"We worked our tails off."

Before soaking in the picturesque mountain scenery, Brogden is playing travel ball with the Clippers this summer. She is practicing with Ramirez, and both are getting their ND teammates involved as well.

The more innings played, the better the experience.

"We want to help them further their career next season, make them work a little a harder to make them better," Brogden said.

Wise words to live by.