Norwin grad Hailee Culbertson hoping to build on breakout year with Alderson Broaddus softball

To say Hailee Culbertson’s first two seasons of college softball were difficult would be an understatement.

During her freshman year at Alderson Broaddus, the pandemic trimmed the Battlers’ schedule to a mere 10 games. In 2021, the effects of the pandemic were less prevalent, but, the Norwin grad said, issues with the team culture hamstrung the Battlers’ efforts and they didn’t, well, battle with much resolve.

Alderson Broaddus went 1-23 in 2021, and over two years, Culbertson’s numbers were pedestrian: .233 with five doubles and 10 RBIs.

But last season brought a welcome change. Nikki Nuzum, a former All-Mountain East Conference pitcher at Fairmont State, was hired as coach, and the Battlers’ fortunes turned around. The team won 20 games, a mark that had not been achieved for six years, and Culbertson thrived. The shortstop hit .352 with a home run, 23 runs and 29 RBIs.

Her batting average and RBIs were team highs, and the home run — a grand slam — was her first. She didn’t even hit a homer at Norwin.

“We kind of had a rough couple of seasons,” Culbertson said. “But (getting a new coach) really kind of turned a lot of things around. With that, I feel like I have been able to work more on myself, work on a better swing. I also have a really supportive environment.

“(Nuzum) coming in really turned it around, and our assistant (Heidi Hormell), too. I think they’re great people. I love them to death. I feel like I have been able to connect with them a lot more and have that really good relationship with someone who will support and teach me.”

Culbertson said one of the first things Nuzum corrected was her tendency to pull out of the strike zone too quickly at the plate. Nuzum gave Culbertson some drills to work on, and the results were obvious.

Nuzum, however, said Culbertson’s breakout season had less to do with any mechanical tinkering and more to do with being comfortable and relaxed in general.

“I don’t know if we actually did anything in particular to get her where she was last year,” Nuzum said. “ ‘Culby’ has always been capable of being a stud. I think just having the ability to go out and play and enjoy the game again was really important for her, bringing the joy back to the game and being able to be competitive every game.

“Last year, she was a big part of changing the program’s overall culture.”

The Battlers went 3-3 on their season-opening trip to South Carolina. Culbertson is off to a slow start, going hitless in her first six at-bats, though she has scored a run and has two sacrifice hits.

Nuzum has her hitting No. 2 at the moment, which, the coach said, might not be the most glamorous spot in the order. Culbertson probably will be asked to execute a number of sacrifices and hit-and-runs.

But having her high up in the batting order will maximize the number of plate appearances she gets each game, and Nuzum said she is confident Culbertson can produce.

“Toward the end of the game, we’re going to want her to get as many at-bats as possible because we know she’s capable of hitting,” Nuzum said. “My biggest expectation is her coming through in those big moments. I want her to know she’s who I want (at the plate) with bases loaded and two outs.”

And while her offense is solid, defense, Nuzum said, might be Culbertson’s true calling card.

“She’s just phenomenal and a key aspect of our defense,” Nuzum said. “She’s kind of the centerpiece of that, and the girls feed off of her. Defensively, she’s just very sound. She’s going to make a lot of great plays, and she’s not going to make a whole lot of mistakes, which is something you want in your starting shortstop.”

Culbertson also will be asked to take on even more of a leadership role because of the youthful nature of the Battlers’ roster. There are only two other seniors and two juniors, so Culbertson will have the responsibility not only to shepherd the young players through this season but prepare them to take the program up another notch next season.

Culbertson, however, probably won’t be around for next season. She has an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, but she said she isn’t likely to take it. She will graduate this spring and already has begun the application process for vet school.

So this likely will be her last ride as a softball player, and she aims to make the most of it.

An MEC title? That might be a big ask, but Culbertson is confident the Battlers can earn a spot in the conference tournament. After improving by a whopping 19 wins in just one season, the team certainly seems capable of taking another step.

“Last year we actually set a goal that we wanted to get 20 wins on the season … and we reached that one,” she said. “And we treated that as a stepping stone for this year. Now that we have had a full fall season, we’ve had a lot more time to prepare and a lot more time to get comfortable with each other as a team. That’s really going to show this season.

“I feel like we definitely have a decent shot to make it to the conference tournament. I think we’re definitely going to put up a fight this year.”