Arden Breedlove did not just repeat as the Decatur Daily Class 5A-7A softball player of the year. She did it by surpassing numbers she had set herself the year before.
According to a report by Yahoo Sports, the Austin High School senior batted .589 this season with 98 RBIs, 89 runs scored, 27 home runs, and 32 stolen bases. Those figures broke her own school records and pushed her career totals to 68 home runs, 279 RBIs, 275 runs scored, and 166 walks, all Austin records.
Breedlove won the same award last year after batting .536 with 82 RBIs and 24 home runs as a junior. Improving on those numbers was not a given.
"You don't really think you're ever going to put up those kinds of numbers, so it's pretty crazy to think about the fact my name is in the Austin history books," Breedlove said. "My goal was always to be better than I was the year before, and I'm just thankful to the Lord that he allowed me to have so much success."
Opposing teams tried to limit her damage by walking her repeatedly. Head coach Blake Gray said she was intentionally walked approximately 60 times during the season. At the state tournament alone, she had 15 plate appearances and was walked 10 times. In the other five appearances, she went four-for-five.
"She's started every game since her eighth grade year, and every year her numbers would just shoot up even more," Gray said. "Last year she had a breakout season where she set the school record for most home runs and RBIs in a season, and then this year, somehow, she got even better and broke her own records."
Breedlove's contribution went beyond the stat line. Austin entered the season with a young roster that included four middle-school starters by the end of the year. The team still reached the state tournament for the second consecutive season, something that had not happened at the school in years before last year's run.
"I don't know if we're sitting at the state tournament at the end of the year if it wasn't for her. She got a taste of it last year, and it spread like wildfire," Gray said. "A lot of our young players looked up to her. They bought into her, and she poured into them. I give her a lot of credit for helping to shape our young talent."
Breedlove leaves Austin holding virtually every major offensive record in program history. Her departure marks a significant moment for a program that has built itself into one of the top softball programs in north Alabama.
