If it weren’t for an unlikely meeting between Wisconsin softball head coach Yvette Healey and Maria Van Abel at an all-state banquet back in 2011, Van Abel might never have been a Badger.
Van Abel could have easily been a volleyball star at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, but instead became the player with the second-highest career batting average in Badger softball history.
As a newcomer to the area, Healey casually asked the other coaches from the state who was the best senior at the banquet. Most said it was Van Abel, who had no intention of continuing to play softball beyond high school.
Set to give up softball and move on, Healey swayed the under-recruited Van Abel to take her shot as a walk-on for Wisconsin, with the hope that she would one day establish herself as a key fixture in the lineup.
Despite not being a part of the everyday lineup her freshman year, Van Abel always made sure to capitalize on every opportunity she was given to prove herself. Whether it was a gameday, or late-practice outfield drills, Healey said it was the tenacity in Van Abel’s play that distinguished her from other walk-ons.
“I think her approach and her attitude have really separated her. Even as a freshman she just worked so hard and was present everyday, has a smile on her face — a kind selfless kid, always a great teammate,” Healey said.
It was a game against Florida State in 2012, Van Abel’s first year, that convinced Healey of Van Abel’s potential. Coming in as a pinch runner, Van Abel stole a base, scored a run and made a series of impressive defensive displays out in center field.
“She ran down a couple of really tough balls, and we said ‘Wow, that’s really what you want out of your center fielder, this crazy range,'” Healey said. “It was going to be hard to keep her out of the lineup.”
As a Wisconsin native from Kaukauna, Van Abel described how she didn’t know what to expect her first year, and that just getting to be a part of a Badgers team was already a dream come true.
“I wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school, so I kind of felt like the underdog at the time, and I knew I would have to work extremely hard to see the field and to see playing time,” Van Abel said. “My teammates helped me figure out what my role was. Then it was just about growing into my role and accepting it and working really hard, which has put me where I am today. “
Becoming the model of consistency for Healey’s team, Van Abel has appeared in every game since taking over as a full-time starter in her sophomore season.
Along the way, she has been a part of some key moments in the team’s history, including the team’s Big Ten Championship win against Minnesota in 2013. She has had her fair share of individual successes as well, including walk-off hits in back-to-back years against Iowa in 2014 and 2015.
Reflecting on her career, Van Abel had high praise for the influence that Healey has had on her development as a player.
“She is a tremendous role model, not only teaching me about softball, but also as a life coach,” Van Abel said. “I can walk away from this experience not only a better athlete, but also a better person after having her as a coach for four years. Her positivism and her optimism are truly admirable, especially through times when we’re seeing adversity and being challenged.
“When things aren’t going well, she has the ability to see the positive and find a lesson to be taught. She’s really great at what she does.”
Similarly to Van Abel in 2012, current freshman Kelsey Jenkins is adjusting to the difficulty of Division I play and finding her role on the team. In the process, Jenkins said Van Abel has taken the initiative to dish out tips and advice when needed, especially with hitting techniques and handling the pressures of the game.
“Maria always has the best interest of everybody that’s on the field and off the field,” Jenkins said. “During practice she’s always the one coaching people and giving speeches. She’s really helped me with the mental side, on and off the field. On the field I need to not be so tight and try to do too much.
“It’s been awesome to be a freshman and play under her.”
As a management and human resources major with the daunting world of post-graduation looming in the near future, Van Abel is embracing every moment she has left with her teammates.
“It’s something you start to think about now that time is kind of dwindling down,” Van Abel said. “It’s in the back of your head as a senior, and hands down it’ll be the team and the memories we made, not only on the field, but also off the field. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing women and coaches, and I think just being with them all the time is going to be what I miss most.”
Aside from the void Van Abel will leave in the leadoff spot and center field next season for the Badgers, Healey said she will miss the leadership and contagious positive attitude she brought day in and day out.
The mark she made on the program and beyond, however, is one Healey said won’t be forgotten.
“You think they’re just going to be a great kid in your program who brings a lot of selflessness and hard work,” Healey said. “But the fact that she’s been able to be so nice and also competitive and push herself to become this outstanding player her senior year, becoming a scholarship kid starting the number of games that she has for us, I think she’s really inspirational for kids all over the state.”
