BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High School senior softball players Madi Mitzel and Emma Rogel work together on the field as pitcher and catcher respectively, so it seemed fitting that the two participated in a joint scholarship-signing ceremony on Feb. 28 in the school’s cafeteria.
“She’s been my best friend since like sixth grade, so it’s awesome sharing this with her,” Rogel said of Mitzel. “We’ve always played together. We’ve always dreamed about going to (college).”
Rogel, who’ll be going to the College of Central Florida in Ocala, admitted to having a mixture of emotions about getting the chance to play collegiately.
“I always dreamed about it when I was little,” she said. “It’s excitement, but it’s almost nerve-racking, too, because I want to do well when I get there.”
Mitzel, who’ll be going to Daytona State College, said, “I’m just very blessed and excited to have this opportunity to play (in college).
Keystone Head Coach Jessica Marquart said Mitzel and Rogel are among the hardest workers she’s ever had on her teams at KHHS.
“I’m glad they get to do this because it’s something that they love,” Marquart said.
Mitzel is coming off a junior season in which she led the team in innings pitched (98.1), ERA (2.85) and strikeouts (64). She went 7-5 and had five saves in 22 appearances.
As a sophomore during the season that was canceled after 10 games due to the pandemic, Mitzel threw 31.1 innings, going 4-2 with an ERA of 2.68. She pitched 46.2 innings as a freshman, going 3-4 with an ERA of 3.00.
Mitzel said she’s been playing ball since she was 8 and has been pitching since she was 10.
“I like being a leader on the field,” she said. “I like controlling the tempo of the game.”
Marquart said Mitzel has been a leader whether she’s on the field or not.
“She always has a great attitude,” Marquart said. “Even if she gets pulled or if someone else starts over her, she’s cheering in the dugout.”
Mitzel said she was considering other schools, but Daytona State was the first that showed interest in her.
“I went there on a visit,” Mitzel said. “I just loved it. I just knew that was the place for me.”
Mitzel said she enjoyed the school’s environment, including the fact campus is close to the beach, but she also looks forward to the opportunity to work with Head Coach Keli Harrell, a former pitcher who played at East Carolina University.
Making the successful transition to playing at the collegiate level will include continuing the hard work she already does at KHHS, Mitzel said, adding, “I know that whenever I get there, everyone’s going to be at about the same level of talent, if not better. I just have to keep working hard and outwork my competitors.”
Rogel moved up to the KHHS varsity level as an eighth-grader late in the 2018 season. The Indians advanced to the Final Four that year.
“That was a pretty cool experience for her to be able to do that,” Marquart said.
Rogel has played catcher most of the time she’s played ball. It’s a position she took to immediately after playing elsewhere briefly as a youth.
“I used to be an infielder, but I knew it wasn’t for me. They put me behind the plate. It’s just like golden,” Rogel said, adding, “Always in charge. I like that. I just like being a leader on the field.”
Marquart said, “She’s just kind of the voice of the team. She gets back there, and she’s the leader. Not so much vocally, but just by being out there and wanting to do her best.”
Rogel batted .377 last season, which was second on the team. She had eight RBI, drew a team-high 10 walks and stole a team-high 18 bases.
In the shortened 2020 season, she batted .200. Before that, as a freshman, she was second on the team with a .439 batting average. She had 11 RBI and stole 13 bases.
When she was moved up to varsity in 2018, she batted .500 in eight games.
Rogel had originally committed to Division II Converse College, which is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. What that program’s coach left, though, she took advantage of an invitation to visit the College of Central Florida.
“It just clicked,” she said of that visit. “I liked how competitive they were, how good they were.”
As for transitioning to playing collegiately, Rogel said she needs to continue to improve offensively and improve her chances of getting on base, which has proven to be a good thing for the Indians. Marquart said, “She gets on, she scores.”
Marquart said she believes both players have the potential to play at a four-year college after two years at Daytona State and Central Florida if that’s what they want to do. Mitzel said, “If that’s in the cards for me, then yes,” adding that her ultimate goal is to get into a good nursing program.
Rogel, who’s close to getting her AA degree, said, “If I am in college longer than I think I’ll be, then I’ll definitely go to a four-year school. If not, then in two years, I’ll be done. I’ll just graduate from college and go into the real world.
The “real world” for Rogel is a career in healthcare management.
For now, the playing focus is on the current KHHS season and then playing for Daytona State and Central Florida. The players will join their respective college teams with a drive to win, but not at the expense of enjoying the game.
“You can’t teach competition,” Marquart said. “They both have it. They want to win, but they have fun, too, while they’re doing it.”
Both players admit they’ll probably be nervous prior to their first games in college, but those feelings will change once play begins.
“Then I’ll be so excited,” Rogel said. “I know that feeling has to be amazing.”
Mitzel said it’ll be “super exciting because my dream’s becoming a reality.”
