Athletes never desire season-ending knee surgery, especially if it occurs at the beginning of their senior year, as it could potentially be career-ending. But for softball fifth-year senior Brittany Bell, a torn ACL and medial meniscus to start off her senior season was a blessing in disguise.
Bell came to Mississippi State from Brandon, Fla., and immediately made her mark on the diamond. She had a .264 average her freshman season and added 10 RBIs. She became an everyday starter her next two seasons, increasing her average to .295 by the end of her junior campaign.
But then came senior year. After helping State advance to the Bulldog Round-Robin championship game, Bell injured her left knee and soon after had season-ending knee surgery. Thankfully, Bell was able to redshirt for the rest of the season. Bell said it was her sheer love for the game that made her fight to come back for another senior year.
“I knew I would be able to come back and play again. I was sad I couldn’t finish off with the girls I came here with, but I didn’t let that get me down. I worked hard in rehab to make sure I was able to play and help the team out no matter what,” she said. “I told myself that I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing I could play this one last year, and it’s been paying off.”
It is an understatement to say Bell’s decision to return has “been paying off.” She is currently leading the Bulldogs with a .412 average and is second on the team with 28 RBIs and eight home runs. As if that is not enough, she is also the SEC leader in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
These results did not come out of nowhere for the fifth-year senior; instead, she made the most of her redshirt season by watching and analyzing games for a whole year. Bell saw her unfortunate situation as a learning experience and noticed all of the small things while on the bench last year which helped her return this season.
State head coach Vann Stuedeman said the experience Bell gained last year and her being one year older and wiser, combined with her off-the-chart competitiveness, has allowed her to succeed this year.
“Brittany (Bell) is someone who brings it every day. She is hard-nosed and relentless in her work; she wants to compete every opportunity she gets. That one extra year has helped her a lot, especially in the emotional maturity category,” Stuedeman said. “She’s been able to really focus a lot more, and I think that has to do with her being a fifth-year senior. It shows you what one extra year in the league will do for you because she’s been able to take advantage of an unfortunate situation and just run with it.”
However, Bell does not take the credit for her success this season. She believes Stuedeman and first-year assistant coach Alan Reach have turned her into the player she has been this year. Bell said the key at the plate for her has been her mindset.
“Coach Reach has done wonders; he makes hitting fun, easy and simple, and that’s one thing that’s helped me out a lot. He’s helped my swing and my approach tremendously,” Bell said. “Coach Stuedeman fires me up and amps me up to get out there, play hard, bring it every time and fight because everything isn’t given to you. You have to go out there and fight.”
In addition to her achievements on the field, Bell’s return for a fifth year had an added bonus: she was able to play another season with her sister, Briana. The Bell sisters played one year of high school softball together, and when Briana chose to play for the Bulldogs, they expected to have one final season together. This additional second collegiate season together is yet another blessing produced from Bell’s knee injury.
Briana said everyone on the team looks up to Brittany. For Briana personally, she said playing with her sister is great and she absolutely loves it.
“It’s good to have someone there for you at all times to talk about the game, and Brittany’s very, very supportive. I gain lots of knowledge and experience because she’s older than me and has been here five years, so she has lots of tips for me,” Briana said. “It’s an advantage since she’s been here, and it’s just awesome to have a sister on the team.”
Bell’s clutch hitting has played a key role in the overall performance of the team this season, but her experience and extra year of knowledge that came from her knee injury have extended beyond her own success and impacted her teammates. It was a major blessing in disguise.