歪歪漫画

Waabi Wagner swings a big stick.

In 22 games for the Northome/Kelliher softball team, Wagner recorded a .586 batting average in 85 plate appearances. The senior struck out just four times in 70 at-bats and posted a .958 fielding percentage at third base.

Her presence on the diamond proved invaluable for Northome/Kelliher, a program that battled its way through the Section 5A elimination bracket to clinch its first state berth in program history last Thursday.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 feel anything,鈥� Wagner said, recalling her emotions that came with the final out. 鈥淚 was just so proud of everyone on this team. I鈥檓 so proud of everyone鈥檚 determination and dedication. This team was always ready and prepared for anything. There are a lot of good things that come out of being from here and going to state. It just makes you feel proud.鈥�

Jared Rubado / Bemidji Pioneer

Wagner grew up in a baseball-centric family, playing with her older siblings before making history on the Mustangs鈥� softball field.

She鈥檚 done it all while wearing hearing aids.

Wagner is a hard-of-hearing student-athlete who鈥檚 been given no choice but to adjust in order to play the sport she loves.

鈥淚鈥檝e had to adapt by reading lips,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淗aving helmets on or when everybody is cheering, it鈥檚 a challenge for me. 鈥� When I鈥檓 on the bases it can get hard. Normally, I鈥檓 pretty good at knowing what to do. But sometimes, the people I can hear are screaming different things from what I think I should do. You just have to trust your gut.鈥�

Northome/Kelliher鈥檚 Pennie Rude has coached Wagner from the time she started playing softball in sixth grade six years ago. Any hesitations Rude might鈥檝e had about Wagner鈥檚 hearing were quickly put to rest.

Jared Rubado / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淪he鈥檚 never let her being hard of hearing be any type of hindrance for her,鈥� Rude said. 鈥淲e just work out a certain type of communication between each other, and she knows exactly what she needs to do on the field. She鈥檚 a really good role model on the field. She may be quiet, but she leads by example. She makes sure there isn鈥檛 one person on this team that doesn鈥檛 feel included and important.鈥�

Wagner won鈥檛 make excuses for herself despite having every reason to do so. Her coaches and teammates have also developed some alternative hand signals that allow her to communicate without her ears when needed.

鈥淪he never brings it up,鈥� sophomore Kylee Binkley said. 鈥淭he first time I found out she was (hard of hearing) I had no idea. She doesn鈥檛 talk about it. If she can鈥檛 hear something, she asks for us to speak up. She doesn鈥檛 let it bring her down.鈥�

In the heart of a balanced batting lineup, Wagner continuously shows her fighting spirit.

鈥淪he鈥檚 extremely competitive, but you don鈥檛 really notice it in her verbal demeanor,鈥� Rude said. 鈥淵ou notice it when she plays the game. When she hits, she rarely strikes out. She will do absolutely anything to get on base. In one game against Fertile-Beltrami, she hit 14 foul balls in a row. She will do anything to get on base for this team.鈥�

Jared Rubado / Bemidji Pioneer

Wagner鈥檚 relentlessness has resonated beyond the high school level. Her impressive prep resume earned her a spot in Minnesota Morris鈥� softball program, an opportunity she didn鈥檛 know she鈥檇 be afforded when she first started playing.

鈥淚鈥檝e heard great things about playing there,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not too big, it鈥檚 not too small. 鈥� My dad and I filled out a recruitment form. A couple of months later we got an email back and started talking together about playing (for Morris). We took a visit and they came and watched some of my games. It just felt right.鈥�

Wagner feels called on to pay her fortunes forward. She will study education in college with the intention of becoming a deaf and hard-of-hearing teacher after she graduates.

鈥淚 want to work with kids, younger kids,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淧robably fifth grade or younger, but I鈥檒l be fine working with whatever age. I just want to do that (job). What I鈥檝e learned about my audiograms and how my hearing is in both ears, the teachers have taught me so many things about myself. They鈥檝e been so important to me, and I want to do that for other people.鈥�

Jared Rubado / Bemidji Pioneer

At her core, Wagner is a calming figure for those around her. It shows in the classroom and on the softball field.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if it鈥檚 the girls who don鈥檛 get to play, the girls on the bench or the (substitute players), she鈥檚 a leader for them,鈥� Rude said. 鈥淚f someone makes a mistake. She鈥檚 the first one to say, 鈥楬ey, that鈥檚 alright. I make mistakes all the time.鈥� That鈥檚 our mentality as a team. Just go play the game and have fun.鈥�

On Wednesday, the Mustangs will step on the Caswell Park fields in Mankato for the first time ever. They will have their hands full with top-seeded New Ulm Cathedral.

Regardless of how Northome/Kelliher fares at state, Wagner is prepared to soak up the moment one last time with the teammates and coaches who embraced her for who she is.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so amazing to know that everyone comes together like that for me,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淭o know they鈥檙e so understanding in that way, it鈥檚 hard to explain. Yeah, I might be hard of hearing, but they make sure to make me more part of this team. I鈥檓 just so thankful for them.鈥�

Jared Rubado / Bemidji Pioneer

Jared Rubado / Bemidji Pioneer