Linfield-bound Brynn Nelson has Bonney Lake softball primed for another successful season

For an attendee at a Bonney Lake High School softball practice, you’re likely going to see at least one home run from Brynn Nelson.

During a game, the college-committed senior is the player you can rely on for a crucial gap hit in the biggest moment.

“She’s got the timing down and everything,” Bonney Lake coach Kate Zender said. “It’s contagious. … You get one hit, and the rest kind of follow.”

Since Nelson opened up Bonney Lake’s season with the team’s first hit, the bats have continued pouring it on, and the Panthers haven’t looked back. They clobbered their way to an 11-0 victory over Spanaway Lake on March 31, and they’ve tacked on two wins since, scoring a combined 58 runs in their opening trio of games.

Whenever Nelson, a two-time TNT All-Area first-teamer, steps up to the plate, the odds of the senior co-captain reaching base are better than flipping a coin.

The COVID-19 pandemic erased her junior season, but Nelson hit above .500 as both a freshman and sophomore, and should have no problem doing it again.

Her strategy at the plate, she says, isn’t always the same, and depends on the situation, the strike zone, and the pitch she’s looking for.

“Whenever I come up to the plate, I like to focus on what’s at hand … and coming up with a plan each time I come up to bat,” Nelson said. “Figuring out what pitch I’m looking for, what the zone is going to be like, and what my goal is on each at-bat.”

And with swinging the bat, Nelson’s family helped immensely during her younger years. Her parents both played baseball and softball at the collegiate level, and her sister, Brooke, was a two-time TNT All-Area player of the year.

In 2018, the Nelson sisters helped Bonney Lake secure the Class 3A State Championship.

“Brooke has been one of my biggest inspirations,” Brynn said. “She has such a great work ethic, and I try to model that whenever I play. Growing up together … (my parents) were always there to help us. My dad loves helping me with my swing, and also having Brooke there, I always have a partner.

“Whenever we wanted to go hit, (or have) someone to toss with, we were always there to help each other out. Having her has helped me grow so much as a player, because I always (had) someone right there to help me.”

Now, with Brooke as a member of the softball team at the University of Washington, Brynn has assumed a greater leadership role.

In fact, she’s the only returning starter from last season’s Bonney Lake squad.

“Brynn is our best hitter, but she’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever dealt with,” Zender said. “She’s just like her sister. She’s just a natural leader. She goes out there and is almost like a coach. The kids look up to her, and she’s always the one leading all of the different warmups and drills. ... She’s happy and excited to be there, and the kids thrive off her energy. I couldn’t be more thankful for such a great kid, all around.”

The new-look Panthers, though, are coming out of the gate with hot bats, and are playing cohesively, to use Zender’s words. Their hitting depth — and safely relying upon everyone in the lineup — is Bonney Lake’s force to reckon with.

Defensively, the Panthers have allowed just two runs through their opening three contests. Because of a fielding error that allowed a run, their pitcher, sophomore Bella Carazo, is responsible for only one.

“It’s our team chemistry,” Nelson said. “Everyone on the team gets along so well, and we play so well together. Even when someone is struggling, we’re able to lift each other up and be able to work together in every situation.”

After four league games to wrap up the season, Bonney Lake will take part of a postseason tournament composed of more local teams, as the pandemic prohibited broader interstate play. Their goals are not only to win, but to arrive undefeated.

Nelson, however, has just a handful of games left before departing to Linfield University in Oregon. Aside from their fielding of a competitive team, Linfield provides a math program that Nelson is excited to be a part of.

“I just loved the team culture that was provided,” Nelson said. “They’re a great softball team, which is awesome to be competitive. But, what mattered more to me was the environment that I knew I would enjoy for the next four years. … And after talking to all of the coaches and some of the girls, it just felt from the different schools I was looking at that this was the right fit for me.”

In the meantime, there isn’t a stat left to reach or memory left for Nelson to make. Because of last season’s cancellation — and a tangible uncertainty of this season that hung in the balance earlier this year — Nelson simply wants to enjoy every game.

“I’m just so excited to be able to play this year since we missed out last year,” Nelson said. “Just being able to come to practice every day, see my teammates, and enjoy this last year with them, that’s my goal.”

This story was originally published April 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.