By Jimmy Allinder
It has been seasonably warm in recent days, heralding spring will soon arrive, and East Brunswick High School softball player Megan Kelliher couldn’t be happier.
This time of year is what the senior enjoys most, as she has for the last three years gearing up to play third base for the Bears.
As a junior, Kelliher batted .341 with 57 hits and clubbed eight home runs, but she was equally stellar at third base. Rarely did she bobble a ball hit her way, and she was always true with rocket throws to first — the kind that breeds confidence in the rest of the team.
“I think one of the strengths I bring to my team is fielding,” Kelliher said. “I’ve always been good at it, but I’ve worked hard to improve those skills. Now that I’m an upperclassman, I feel it’s my responsibility to offer teammates advice and inspire them in every way possible.”
Her coach, Kevin Brady, agrees with Kelliher’s self-assessment.
“Megan is a disciplined athlete who works hard in practice and is willing to devote hours to making herself better,” he said. “Softball is a sport where repetition with working on fundamentals is vitally important, and Megan continues to be a model for how a player can realize her potential.”
Kelliher applies those same principles in the classroom, where she has achieved a 3.75 grade-point average and is eyeing a major in nursing when she matriculates to college.
“My favorite subject is science and specifically chemistry, anatomy and physiology,” Kelliher said. “My teachers in those classes, Mr. [Maricar] Korff and Dr. [Carlan] Smith, have really encouraged me I can do the work, particularly when things get hard in class. I’ve applied that same principle when we face difficult situations during a softball game.”
Kelliher said one of those times was a year ago, when the Bears won a Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament semifinals game against South Brunswick High School, 6-5, after being down a run.
“The game went to extra innings, and perhaps both teams could have been excused for being tired and given up,” she said. “However, we wanted nothing more than to win. So when a hit drove in the winning run, the whole team ran onto the field and hugged one another. I felt fortunate to have been part of that experience.”
Playing third base is an art form, just like any other activity in Kelliher’s mind.
“When a pitch is thrown, I expect the ball to be hit to me, so I’m always prepared,” she said. “I also build up my confidence by occasionally looking around at my teammates and gain an inner-confidence that I’m surrounded by such gifted players.”
Despite her healthy statistics last year, Kelliher said becoming a more consistent hitter is something she wants to improve on.
“If I have an at-bat where I don’t get a hit or produce a positive result, I don’t get down on myself because I know I will be picked up by my teammates,” she said. “It’s a mental exercise I need to practice more.”
Practicing time management with her rigorous academic schedule and playing softball is another exercise that demands Kelliher’s best effort.
“When school ends and before softball practice starts is one of the toughest times of my day because I have so much to accomplish,” she said. “The first thing I do is begin homework, whether it’s at home or on the bus to a game. My grades have always been a top priority, so I’ll devote whatever time I have to in order to get things done.”
Among Kelliher’s other activities are involvement in Class Council, Italian Club and the Interact Club. She also enjoys kickboxing to stay in shape and skiing in the winter with her family because it allows her to spend time with her parents and siblings — and is another way to maintain her fitness.
Kelliher credits her father, Gary, for helping her become interested in softball and his willingness to give up his time to practice with her and older sister, Gabrielle, a former East Brunswick star who is now playing at Marist College.
Gabrielle Kelliher has also been an important person in her life, and the younger sibling is sometimes asked if she ever felt pressure to meet or exceed the standard set by her sister, who set five offensive records at East Brunswick.
“The two years we were on the same team was a wonderful experience,” Megan Kelliher said. “Gabrielle not only strengthened our lineup, but she helped me become a better player.”
Megan Kelliher said she has been helped by a number of coaches, but she said Brady has been particularly influential.
“One of my favorite parts about Coach Brady is how much he can inspire the whole team just by speaking to us,” she said. “He has a way of motivating the girls to give 110 percent every moment of the game.”
Lastly, but certainly not least, are the friendships she has gained playing softball, particularly with senior Samantha Smalley.
“I have played with Samantha since I was 8 years old,” Kelliher said. “We’ve been throwing and hitting partners, and she has been especially helpful if I get nervous by giving me little pep talks, helping me realize softball is more mental than physical and that I can overcome any obstacle.”
It appears Kelliher has already done that.
