Senior Kiersten Tinio recently committed to play softball at Misericordia University.

“Playing softball in college has always been one of my biggest goals ever since playing T-Ball,” Tinio said. “I’m excited to play and compete at the next level.”

Tinio is a strong force on the field who produced a stellar performance last season that she hopes to repeat this spring. Last season, she led the team with an on-base percentage of .484 and batting average of .439.

“Kiersten is an impressive force in the outfield and a reliable hitter,” junior teammate Lindsey Kudriavetz said. “Last year she was put in centerfield suddenly but was able to rise to the occasion and dominate as a consistent part of our defense. She was also an incredible hitter.”

“Kiersten is also very calm in stressful situations,” added Ashley Kanya, the coach of the Randolph Girls Softball team. “She is the person you want up to bat when the game is on the line; she doesn’t let the stress of a situation get to her.”

Tinio’s work ethic has played a big role in her success on the softball field. “Kiersten is one of the hardest working people I know,” Coach Kanya said. “She puts in a tremendous amount of time working on her skills. That work ethic and drive will take her far.”

“This whole journey took a lot of hard work and mental toughness,” Tinio noted. “At times, I wanted to give up, but I knew I had to keep going in order to accomplish one of my biggest goals in life.”

Not only does Tinio produce great stats on the softball pitch, but she is also a strong leader who is well-liked by her teammates. “She is very easy to talk to and leads by example, which is why she was selected as a captain this year for our team,” Kanya said.

“Kiersten is both an amazing teammate and player. She is incredibly reliable and always hyping the team up before or during games,” Kudriavetz said. “Her impressive skills mixed with her upbeat personality influences and motivates the team to want to win.”

Tinio’s coach and teammates were ecstatic about her commitment. “When I found out Kiersten was committed, I was so incredibly proud of her and excited for her,” Kudriavetz said. “She deserves it more than anybody, and I know that she will do amazing things there.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that she’ll be successful in college,” Coach Kanya agreed.

At Misericordia, Tinio said she planned to focus on her academics as well as softball with an intended major in speech language and pathology. “I plan on establishing a strict schedule and holding myself accountable to it in order to fit the things I have to do like studying and practice while also having time to myself,” Tinio said.

She is an impactful player whose college recruitment came from her hard work, stellar play and strong leadership qualities.

Tinio hopes to lead the Randolph Girls Softball team to great success this year, starting with their season debut on March 16.