Five Former Lady Eagles Turn High School Dreams into College Softball Reality
Allison Beeman is a 2024 graduate from Tyrone and is continuing her softball journey at D3 school, Penn State Altoona.
Beeman has played in 36 games so far with 1 stolen base, 9 runs, 15 RBIs, 101 at-bats, and 25 hits.
She has an on-base percentage of .255, a slugging percentage of .267, and a batting average of .248.
Eagle Eye: What has been the biggest adjustment going from high school softball to college-level competition?
Allison Beeman: I think switching to a new team in general is a hard thing to do, but the girls here welcomed me with open arms, and it was so easy to become close with them. In terms of the collegiate level, I would say the hardest thing is facing more confident and determined players.
EE: How did playing at TAHS prepare you for the challenges of college athletics?
AB: Without Tyrone softball, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. I learned great leadership skills and also how to work with such an amazing team.
EE: What lessons from your high school coach or teammates stuck with you the most at the next level?
AB: My coach, Hilary Sollener, would always say to me, “float like a Cadillac, sting like a Beemer” because my last name is Beeman. Meaning, play it cool and confident and be ready to compete and sting the opponent.
EE: How do you balance academics with the demands of collegiate softball?
AB: It can be difficult balancing school life and softball, but having good time management is everything. I make sure to put everything on my schedule so I don’t forget anything.
EE: What’s your favorite memory playing at TAHS?
AB: My favorite memory from Tyrone softball would have to be any time we did team bonding, and when we made it to the playoffs.
EE: What advice would you give current TAHS players hoping to continue to the next level?
AB: Some advice I would give to anyone looking to play any sport in college would be to play with love. Loving what you do and putting hard work into it will make it so much more rewarding.
EE: What has been the most rewarding part of playing college ball so far?
AB: The most rewarding part about playing college ball has to be the girls I meet. We all share a love for softball, and we are more than just a team; we are a family. We have experienced so many things together, like having to sleep in a hotel together, long travel trips on the bus, and so much more. If I had to go back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
EE: Looking ahead, how do you see softball impacting your future beyond college?
AB: Softball has always been a big part of my life, and I think it always will be. I am a business major, and I think having that strength in teamwork and leadership skills will get me far in life.
Kaleigh Brodzina graduated from Tyrone in 2024 and is starting her softball season at Lock Haven, a D2 school, after transferring from Susquehanna, where she didn’t play sports.
Brodzina is majoring in Early Childhood Education.
Although there are no college stats available at the moment on her performance, she also had an amazing softball journey with Tyrone.
Eagle Eye: What has been the biggest adjustment going from high school softball to college-level competition?
Kaleigh Brodzina: The biggest adjustment going from high school to college softball is not only the competitiveness, but the amount of work on and off the field that we do. It’s a full team effort 24/7 to communicate and work together, and it’s a lot to adjust to at first.
EE: How did playing at TAHS prepare you for the challenges of college athletics?
KB: Playing at TAHS allowed me to learn how to put the team before myself. I learned how to be more competitive and push myself to my fullest while still having fun. Always have fun.
EE: What lessons from your high school coach or teammates stuck with you the most at the next level?
KB: I learned from my coaches that I should give God all of the glory and let Him use me to be where I am for His plans. And I learned from my teammates that people have different things and emotions they’re carrying. Everyone learns differently, and that’s just a part of chemistry.
EE: How do you balance academics with the demands of collegiate softball?
KB: Stay open and honest with your coaches, and make time to do school work. I personally do all of mine in the morning before my classes, in case I don’t have time in the evening.
EE: What’s your favorite memory playing at TAHS?
KB: Seeing the freshman thrive at the varsity level. Seeing them grow and get out of their comfort zone, and being able to help them grow.
EE: What advice would you give current TAHS players hoping to continue to the next level?
KB: If you truly love the sport, give it all you have, and even on the days you don’t want to be there, make it a mindset that you GET to be there. There could be a possibility that you’re taking someone else’s spot on the roster or on the field. Enjoy every second you can, and realize you’ve been blessed to be there, move your body, and make memories that you will always remember.
EE: What has been the most rewarding part of playing college ball so far?
KB: getting to have an automatic 15-20 new friends with at least one common interest
EE: Looking ahead, how do you see softball impacting your future beyond college?
KB: This atmosphere will prepare me to push myself to get out of my comfort zone and to be able to be a good, genuine human towards any coworker, family member, etc.
Maci Brodzina is a graduate of Tyrone from 2022. Brodzina played softball for the entirety of her high school years and is now a senior at Lock Haven, a D2 school, where she is majoring in Health and Physical Education while continuing her softball career.
Starting Brodzina’s freshman year, she appeared in 40 games, starting in 30 of them. She had a .943 fielding percentage on 35 chances, and hit 25 of 98 with eight doubles, one triple, 15 runs, and 10 RBIs. She even managed to win the NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete award.
For her sophomore year, she appeared in 35 games, starting in all but one. She had a .296 average and a .377 OB% with a .906 fielding percentage.
Junior season, Brodzina started all 42 games with a .260 average and a .348 OB%. She improved her fielding percentage to .966 as well.
Eagle Eye: What has been the biggest adjustment going from high school softball to college-level competition?
Maci Brodzina: The biggest adjustment from high school to college ball is the pitcher’s ball movement. In high school, I never really saw a good screwball or rise ball, but now I see it at least once in every at-bat.
EE: How did playing at TAHS prepare you for the challenges of college athletics?
MB: At TAHS, I was a captain my freshman year. With this, I’ve been able to grow as a leader before reaching the college level. I learned what it is like being a captain. I also learned the game from many positions through the Tyrone program, so I had an idea of how to play multiple positions.
EE: What lessons from your high school coach or teammates stuck with you the most at the next level?
MB: Something that my coaches in high school have told me is that I just need to trust myself. I can play, I just need to have the confidence that I can. So if there is a day I might have struggled in the box, I always remember that.
EE: How do you balance academics with the demands of collegiate softball?
MB: I try to set aside time for myself to work on my academics. I have what I need to work on for the week written out, so I know what I need to do and then go from there.
EE: What’s your favorite memory playing at TAHS?
MB: My favorite memory from Tyrone softball was making it to the district championships my freshman year
EE: What advice would you give current TAHS players hoping to continue to the next level?
MB: Advice I would give is to start lifting, keep working hard, and trust God with the process. You never know when they could be watching, so ALWAYS be a good teammate, role model, and student.
EE: What has been the most rewarding part of playing college ball so far?
MB: The most rewarding thing is finding a group of girls who love the sport as much as I do and having a core group of girls that I can always rely on, even after college.
EE: Looking ahead, how do you see softball impacting your future beyond college?
MB: Softball is going to impact my future in many ways. I plan on coaching, so learning and playing the game at this level is going to help me tremendously. But softball also taught me how to be disciplined, how to figure out a way to get the job done even if it’s hard, how to be strong mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Layna Dibert graduated from Tyrone last school year, 2024-2025, and has committed to PittBradford, a D3 school, where she will be starting her career this year.
Eagle Eye: What has been the biggest adjustment going from high school softball to college-level competition?
Layna Dibert: The biggest adjustment for me is knowing I’m playing with girls who have a lot of experience in both softball in general and at the college level, so having to push myself harder to be able to play up to their level.
EE: How did playing at TAHS prepare you for the challenges of college athletics?
LD: Playing at Tyrone gave me experience in game situations, and playing very good teams with other college-level players helped prepare me for the skill level needed to succeed.
EE: What lessons from your high school coach or teammates stuck with you the most at the next level?
LD: Coach Hilary has always been one of my biggest supporters since she started coaching me in 8th grade, and continues to help with advice today. One of the biggest lessons she taught me is that I’m better than what I think I am, and to stay out of my head and do what I do best.
EE: How do you balance academics with the demands of collegiate softball?
LD: Balancing academics and softball is pretty easy, with mandatory study hours, I work on studying in my downtime in between classes and practices.
EE: What’s your favorite memory playing at TAHS?
LD: My favorite memory from playing softball for Tyrone is definitely all of the bus rides with the team and being a part of the team to host a playoff game for the first time in 26 years.
EE: What advice would you give current TAHS players hoping to continue to the next level?
LD: -My best advice would be to stay focused and work hard even when you don’t feel like it or when no one’s watching. Hard work truly pays off, and there will always be a college that your skill set will fit into.
EE: What has been the most rewarding part of playing college ball so far?
LD: Playing college softball has been rewarding in many ways on and off the field, but for me, I’d say the most rewarding part is knowing I have a huge support system standing behind me whenever I need it.
EE: Looking ahead, how do you see softball impacting your future beyond college?
LD: Softball has taught me many lessons that will impact my future, including hard work, teamwork, and dedication.
