Brianna Williams Pitches Her A Game with Academics and Athletics

Brianna Williams, a first year student-athlete from Medford Oregon and a Prairie Fire softball player enjoys the healthy competition and camaraderie of softball. "My high school coach was the initial motivating factor for coming to Knox. He knew I had an interest in playing softball, and based on his recommendations, I came here," she says.

"I've been playing softball since I was four years old."

In early spring, the team of young women began training for the Prairie Fire softball season. Their hard work culminated with a record of 3-29.

Williams is a Prairie Fire pitcher and first base player. On March 30 Williams was named the Knox College Prairie Fire Performer of the Week. The first baseman/pitcher hit .455 (10-of-22) with three doubles, two home runs, five runs, and nine runs batted in through eight games for the Prairie Fire. Her home runs however were not counted in the official statistics since they were hit against a junior college team.

Overall, Williams batted 0.301 (third on the team) with ten doubles and two homeruns, and had a slugging percentage of 0.473 (second on the team). Her statistics within the Midwest Conference play were even more impressive, as she hit 0.308 with a slugging percentage of 0.564. Her ten doubles had her tied for second on the overall record board for most doubles within a single season. As a pitcher, Williams picked up two collegiate wins (she was 2-16 overall) and had 75 strike-outs. That places the first year student-athlete third on the record books for most strike-outs in a season.

Williams' academic interest leans toward marine biology, and she confesses she is obsessed with manatees. The curve ball - her life goal of learning five languages while pursuing a degree in International Studies. She speaks English, has studied Chinese and Spanish, has traveled through Italy, and is thinking about Arabic as her fifth.

After being involved with softball as well as other extracurricular activities throughout high school, and now at Knox, Williams says it is great to have time set aside each week to still take part in those activities and make a routine out of it. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and serves as the softball representative on the Knox Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

People may wonder why someone like Williams would choose to subject herself to the intensive training routine of sports on top of her high academic goals. "It is a challenge managing my time, but I know it is very important."

With that mentality, she and her teammates sweat and bleed and bruise themselves for a few months, so they can be better players.

She says that softball has taught her much about reacting to adversity. "Softball has pushed me to respond to certain situations in life where I had to react and make decisions quickly."

So much of this sport, she says is "having the discipline to keep going even after setbacks - even after things haven't gone your way."

Despite the personal accomplishments the conference records represent for her, Williams knows the real competition takes place off the softball field.

She claims she gained a great deal from her first year at Knox. "I love Knox. There are so many different people here, and I knew right away I would fit in somewhere."

Over the past year, since the team of a couple of seniors, a handful of juniors, sophomores, and first years started coming for practice, the group has as Williams puts it, "jelled. I think it is the sport in general that brings us together."

The games are competitive but fun, and, no matter who wins, they are willing to shake their opponents' hands and say, "Good game."

Katie Schneider, Co-Director of Sports Information, contributed to this story.