By Niles Kruger / Monroe News

Kris Hubbard started Whiteford’s softball program in 1979 when the sport was in its infancy for girls in the state of Michigan.

She gave up the head coaching duties three years ago, but remained on as an assistant coach, giving her 45 years of experience on the bench.

So, when she says Aly VanBrandt is the greatest player in school history, it means a lot.

Hubbard coached all the greats in school history including Wendy Adams, Dawn Murphy, Leigh Ross, and Holly Schmidt.

But Hubbard goes further than that.

“Aly is the best player we’ve ever had in this county,” she said.

She makes that statement after watching VanBrandt the past three seasons (she missed her freshman year due to COVID-19).

“It’s all the things she can do,” Hubbard said. “She can slap, hit, bunt and hit if over the fence, but that’s not her game. I am not just saying it because I coach at Whiteford. She’s the best.”

Softball coaches in the state of Michigan seem to agree, at least for the recently completed 2023 season.

VanBrandt has been named Michigan’s Miss Softball, meaning the coaches consider her the top player in the state for all divisions.

“It’s pretty cool to get it,” VanBrandt said. “There are so many talented seniors in the state. It’s really crazy.”

Her parents, Matt and Audra VanBrandt, are her coaches at Whiteford.

“We are proud, humbled and blessed,” Matt said. “We know how hard she has worked. There are so many good players in Michigan at every level.”

Melissa Taylor of Summerfield is the only other Monroe County Region player to win the award, which was started by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association in 1994. Monroe’s Ellie Sieler was the Division 1 nominee in 2021.

St. Mary Catholic Central’s Meghan Beaubien was the Pitcher of the Year in 2017.

Hubbard coached against both Taylor and Sieler.

“Aly is a little bigger,” Hubbard said in comparison to Sieler. “Taylor got on base a lot because she could bunt, but Aly is more versatile.”

About the only thing VanBrandt didn’t do on the softball diamond was pitch, but that’s only because she wasn’t needed there.

VanBrandt was preparing to pitch for the Bobcats the summer before her sophomore season. Then, Unity Nelson enrolled at the school and took over in the circle.

VanBrandt was freed up to play her natural position at shortstop.

She capped her outstanding career this spring by collecting 65 hits in 108 at-bats for a gaudy .602 batting average. The lead-off hitter collected 2 doubles and 10 triples, drove in 27 runs, scored 63 times, and stole 39 bases.

She finished with a career average of .641. That was a school record along with her career total of hits (220), runs (202), triples (23), and hit-by-pitch (10).

She finished second in career stolen bases with 106, just 11 off the mark set by Ross. She would up third with 31 career doubles.

“When she gets on base, she usually scores” Matt VanBrandt said.

And she gets on base a lot. VanBrandt struck out just 7 times in 136 plate appearances and drew 26 walks.

Like Taylor and Sieler before her, VanBrandt will continue her softball career in the Big Ten, but her choice was a little different. Taylor and Sieler picked Michigan. VanBrandt will play at Indiana.

Sieler will be a junior next season. She and VanBrandt will compete against each other for the next two seasons.

VanBrandt is looking forward to that.

“I noticed when we played Monroe my sophomore year how aggressive at baserunning she was,” she said. “I definitely wanted to be more like that.”