Brooklyn Gidley’s spot in the A&M Consolidated softball team’s batting order is a perfect fit.
Not only is it because the second baseman batted .589 in District 21-5A play with 43 hits and 15 RBIs, but also because her spot as the leadoff hitter perfectly describes her role on the team.
She helps set the tone for the Lady Tigers both on and off the field as a leader.
“Last year I just kind of followed the seniors and then this year I kind of took it on and became more [of a leader],” Gidley said.
Gidley admits she’s not a natural-born leader and says she can be kind of shy. Coming into high school though, and especially this season, she’s been embracing that responsibility with her describing herself as more of vocal leader.
“I’d say just helping [my teammates] out when they need it and then also just being there for them,” Gidley said.
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That’s not just reflected in her spot in the batting order either as it also translates to her position in the field.
She primarily plays second base for the Lady Tigers but can take over at shortstop. Gidley, who’s been playing softball since she was 6, says that she can’t exactly remember but it was probably coaches that picked those positions for her.
She’s stuck with them though and says that the responsibility and leadership from both are the reasons she likes playing them.
And along with stepping up because of the seniors who had left, the second baseman also wanted to help make sure that the team didn’t go through a repeat of her freshman season.
Gidley was on the varsity last season, but it was a far cry from how this year has gone. Consol was 12-13 overall and 2-12 in 21-5A last season for a last-place finish in the eight-team district.
That step up into a leadership role for the sophomore has been an important one as the Lady Tigers head into the Class 5A area round for the first time since 2019.
Consol (24-5) will face Georgetown in a one-game matchup at Caldwell on at 7 p.m. Friday.
“I’d say it’s a lot more fun,” Gidley said of this season. “We kind of grew into it this year and took advantage that seniors are leaving and embraced that and then just been seeing where we end up.”
And while it might seem like a fast rise for the sophomore, those in the program aren’t surprised. She not only works with the Lady Tigers during the season, but also plays softball year-round.
The second baseman plays in the summer and fall for the Texas Bombers as part of the Bombers Fastpitch organization, a junior Olympic girls softball program. Before the high school season starts, she also puts in work in small group settings just outside of College Station.
Gidley credits the help of her small groups coach Kristi Malpass and Consol head coach Heather Slaton for helping develop her skills.
Slaton is quick to point out though that it all starts with Gidley’s self-motivation.
“One thing that we know about her is her work ethic is second to none,” Slaton said. “Not only does she come in and do what we’re asking her to do here at Consol softball but on her own she gives it full effort, works out on her own, does all the things. I think if you just look at that kid, you know she’s not going to get beat or outworked.”
NOTES — Gidley is a triplet. Her sister Addyson is a member of Consol’s Bengal Belles while her sister Caitlyn is an equestrian show jumper. ...The Lady Eagles (29-7) beat Austin Eastside 19-0 in a one-game bi-district matchup. Georgetown is familiar with District 21-5A. Last season the Lady Eagles knocked off College Station in the regional quarterfinals before falling to eventual state champion Montgomery Lake Creek in the regional finals. ... Slaton says the Lady Tigers won the coin flip and chose the one-game format. Caldwell was selected because of its turf field with the possibility of weather this week. “We know we’re going to face a tough team that made playoffs last year and we’re just going to try and do our best to play our game and kind of stay within ourselves and do what we’ve been doing all year,” Slaton said.