ASPEN CAMPBELL

On field or court, Pottsville MVP is one to watch

Pottsville’s Lady Apaches went to the Class 4A state basketball final last season, won the 2017 state softball title — the first in school history — and went as far as the semifinals of the 2018 Class 4A State Basketball Tournament. Aspen Campbell is one of the major reasons why. Campbell, a 5-7 senior, earned all-state honors in basketball and softball last year and was the MVP of the state-championship softball game. The pitcher/shortstop batted .479 with 46 hits in 96 at-bats, including 4 doubles, 4 triples and 4 home runs. She recorded 35 RBIs, scored 32 runs and had a fielding percentage of .966. On the mound, she earned a 20-1 record with a 0.62 ERA. This spring, she is the River Valley & Ozark Edition Softball Player to Watch. “When Aspen got here, she was another in a long line of great pitchers,” Pottsville softball coach Greg Jones said. “And she’s probably the best shortstop around. Her motor is always running 100 mph. “We couldn’t have done it without her. She’s the cog that makes us go.” Late-February-early-March is a busy time for Campbell. After basketball practice, she heads over to the softball field to work on her pitching. She spoke to a reporter for this story from Brookland prior to the Lady Apaches’ state quarterfinal basketball game against Monticello. Although the schedule is daunting, Campbell said the overlap was helpful. “When we got to the state [basketball] finals last year and didn’t finish out, we were excited to get ready for softball, and we just kept going,” she said, referring to Pottsville’s 33-4 march to its first softball title. “That means a lot just for our community and our school, to show them we can go out and make our goal come true. “Getting to the [basketball] finals helped us in softball.” Campbell also runs track and cross country for the Lady Apaches. But softball has been a part of her — and her fraternal twin sister, Skylar’s — life as long as she can remember. Aspen said their older brother, Corey, had offers to play college baseball, so the talent for bats and balls runs in the family. “I can’t even remember when we started playing,” she said. “We were little, for sure.” The twins have been quite a pair — on the field and on the court. Center fielder Skylar has started for Pottsville for four years. Jones said she is one of his best hitters, “bar none.” “She hits it hard,” he said. “She’s a great athlete, too, all-state in cross country and all-state [tournament] in basketball. She’s an unbelievable athlete. I think them being twins sure helps them push each other.” Aspen agreed. “We have our days,” she said of the twin relationship, chuckling. “We like to compete, but at the end, we come together. That’s what we like.” Jones said that off the field, the twins have different personalities. “But when they get on the field, they both want to win,” he said. “We are going to be really successful this season. I know I can give Aspen that ball in that circle, and she’s going to go try and win.” One of her weaknesses, Campbell said, is getting down on herself. “Sometimes it’s hard to get back up, and I’ve got to have someone there to push me,” she said. “If I just don’t get down on myself, I’ll be OK.”

Campbell, who sports a grade-point average of 3.9-plus, said she plans to attend Arkansas Tech University in Russellville next year to pursue something in the medical field — perhaps pediatrics or physical therapy. But college softball may not be part of the equation. “I don’t know that she wants to play college sports,” Jones said. “She’s probably been playing since she was 5, and you can get burnt out playing sports year-round. She might want to take a break. “But she’ll be great at whatever she wants to do. She’s really intelligent, a smart girl. I hope she gets the opportunity.” Even if she doesn’t play collegiately, Campbell said, she isn’t through with the sport. “I will definitely keep playing it with my friends, for sure,” she said. “If I start to miss it and feel like I need to play (to help pay for her education), that might be a reason for me to do it.” Campbell said she couldn’t really choose a favorite between her two major sports. “It just depends on the time,” she said. “Today, we’re in the state basketball tournament, and I’m into it, but it’s the same way for softball.” Jones said he thinks softball is her better sport. “I think she’s most talented there,” he said. “It comes so easy to her. She’s gifted. She may like basketball more, but it’s just easier for her in softball.” Unsurprisingly, Campbell said her softball goal for this spring is simple. “Win state again,” she said. “Go all the way.” Some of the factors from the Lady Apaches’ basketball success will carry over this spring: “Leadership and trusting your teammates and just being there for each other, playing as a team, as a family, and just never give up on each other,” she said. Sounds like a recipe for success — on the court and on the field.