Catie Cheshire is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Highland for AZPreps365.com.

When Rylee Nelson, Morgan Schmidt and Tori Sanchez were the only three freshmen on Highland's varsity softball team four years ago, it didn’t faze them because they knew they could rely on each other.

Schmidt and Sanchez won the Arizona Little League World Series together when they were 11 years old and Nelson joined their team when they were 14 after competing against them in Little League for her entire childhood. 

The three athletes are kicking off their senior season this year with hopes of making the playoffs, but the central goal is to have fun in their last hurrah together before Schmidt goes to pitch at Fort Hays State University, Nelson leaves to play infield at George Fox University and outfielder Sanchez heads to community college.

Coach Brian Schmidt, who is also Morgan’s dad, said he knows the three of them will be successful in those future endeavors because of how he’s watched them grow on the field. Schmidt was the coach when Morgan and Sanchez won the Little League World Series and he’s devoted his life to coaching them ever since. 

After the Little League World Series win, in which Morgan held the opposing team to two runs and Sanchez contributed to their team scoring over 20, the girls smashed cupcakes in each other’s faces during the celebration and Brian realized how good they had the potential to be.

Schmidt and his wife, Kristie, who was a two-time All American when she played college softball, were enjoying coaching together. They were ready to fully invest in their daughter, and her friend Sanchez’s, softball careers.

“We wanted to do everything we could to give them the opportunity and help them develop softball-wise and give them the tools and they all took it and ran with it,” Schmidt said.

Doing everything they could meant Schmidt switched from coaching baseball at Highland to being Morgan’s softball coach. He rejoined the Highland coaching staff as a softball assistant seven years ago and is in his fifth year as head coach.

Though he said his entire team are excellent athletes and people, Nelson, Morgan and Sanchez having such a rich history playing together makes the Hawks a formidable team, reaching the playoffs in every season the three have been on varsity. 

“We can correct each other without it seeming like a bad thing,” Morgan said. “We're able to talk to each other and kind of be on the same page with everything.” 

She plays infield when she isn’t pitching so she and Nelson share fielding tips, coaching each other on the field. Their motto is, “Don’t take it personal.” 

They try to pass that lesson on to their teammates. This year, the team has seven upperclassmen and seven underclassmen so the trio has the chance to teach many younger athletes.

“The younger girls, too, we always tell them don't take it personal,” Sanchez said. “It's just part of the game. That's how you get better.”

Brian taught the three of them that lesson. They described Brian as an intense coach and said playing for him for so long means they know his intensity comes from a place of care, so they can shake it off if he yells or gets overly excited, which players who know him less well haven’t always learned. 

“I can be demanding at times on the players, but I want to push them to their limit, and we want to get everything we can out of them,” Brain said. “To see them succeed after being pushed is the big reward.”

Morgan said she’s played for her dad as long as she can remember and it motivates her to be a better person and player because of how emotional the two can get. She’s had other coaches in club ball over the years and relishes when she’s back with her dad because of how passionate he is.

Brian said he and Morgan have a great relationship, especially now that they’ve gotten over the initial learning curve of figuring out how to be a father and a daughter as well as a coach and an athlete. He said Morgan’s work ethic means he doesn’t worry about favoritism in his coaching. 

“She works hard so I never have to worry about whether she's going to be out here giving 100%,” he said. “She's got to earn everything she gets, just like everybody else.” 

In addition to Brian and Morgan’s relationship, softball also bonds Sanchez and her dad. Sanchez said she and her dad have a strong connection because of their shared love of the sport. When Sanchez moved from El Paso, her dad signed her up for Little League even though she missed tryouts. That’s when Brian called, kicking off the years-long softball legacy, and friendship, between Sanchez and Morgan. 

Focusing on team-building is important to all three seniors because of their foundation in friendship.

Though team-building is difficult this year because of COVID-19, Nelson, Schmidt and Sanchez still try to organize socially distanced pizza dinners and other activities so they can get to know the underclassmen better because they know how much their bond helped them when they were freshmen.

Many of their best memories came from their freshman year and they credit their older teammates for taking them under their wings as part of why their memories from that year are so good. They want to be sure they have an impact as positive. 

Brian described the trio’s leadership as “everything.”

“The bond they have—these three in particular because they've been such close friends for so, so long—it helps immensely,” he said. 

At Highland, Brian implemented the philosophy that seniors do the heavy lifting with cleaning up, raking the field, and hustle. Leading by example, they build a selfless culture on the team.

That culture means the team can be successful on the field because they’ll do anything it takes to help get a win.

Brian cited Nelson driving an hour each week to work with a hitting coach and Sanchez coming to work at the school with her dad when no one else is there as examples of their dedication. He said he, and their parents, worked to instill that dedication in them since they were young.

Despite their athletic success, with Morgan being one of the best pitchers in the state and Nelson and Sanchez leading the team on the field, Brian said his favorite memories of the trio are seeing them interact with younger athletes during program-bonding activities. He takes pride in who they are as people.

“We spent a lot of hours together,” Brian said. “There's been some tears shed. There's been some happy moments and sad moments. I love them all like they were my own kids. I would do anything for them or any of my other players. I should be thanking them for everything they've given me more than for what I've given them.”

The Hawks (2-2) will host Cesar Chavez at 7 p.m. Monday.