Allison Benning from Lake Elmo, Minnesota, is one of our outstanding student-athlete bloggers who regularly contribute as part of our Inside Pitch series.
Allison, who signed with the University of Oregon, is a tall and dominating pitcher who was ranked as a Top 15 overall selection in the 2021 Extra Elite 100 and was one of four in the Top 30 for the Ducks.
She also was named as the 2020 Minnesota Gatorade Softball Player of the Year and made the Extra Inning Softball 2020 All-Summer Team.
We’ve known about Allison’s on-field talents for a while now and did a recruiting spotlight on her titled: Oregon-Bound Pitcher Allison Benning is “Looking for Redemption” last December.
A talented writer as well as standout softball player, the Midwest senior wants to major in Journalism at Oregon. Be sure to check out her previous Inside Pitch articles Softball in the Midwest is On the Rise! and Allison Benning Recaps This Weekend’s Bolts 5-Star Showcase.
A power arm from the Midwest leads off our ‘21 signing class 💪.@allisonbenning_ joins the flock as the No. 1️⃣3️⃣ recruit nationally and the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/RqcMb6yfgp
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) November 11, 2020
Today, Allison looks ahead to what promises to be a very exciting 2021 calendar year as she’ll finish one segment of her life—high school and travel ball—and begin another: college!
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This year, 2020, certainly has been a memorable year in more ways than one. It may not have been a year one would like to remember, but how could one forget all that has happened this year?
I’ve been raised to always look on the bright side of things, so I would like to look back upon all of the great things that I have experienced this year thus far.
I am very grateful that I was able to have a great summer club season with my team, Top Gun 16 National (now 18U). We were fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to play in many elite tournaments over the summer and do well!
We also had a good fall season. Since many of the girls on my team are from Missouri, we were missing a lot of girls in the beginning of the season because they were playing high school softball.
Regardless, it was still fun to be able to play with most of my teammates. We also had girls from our 16 National team subbing with us, so it was fun to play with and meet those talented girls. We did get all of my teammates together towards the end of the season, which was great!
I also had a great opportunity to be a guest player for Firecrackers – Rico this fall in a couple of tournaments, including the Alliance Fall Cup and the Bombers Exposure. It was a great experience to be able to play in more tournaments against some of the most elite teams in the country.
I got to pitch at the USA Hall of Fame Stadium, the host of the Women’s College World Series, which was the coolest experience ever! I’m going to make sure that won’t be my last time pitching there!
I am very grateful for the opportunity to play softball, despite COVID-19 taking its toll on our country. However, Minnesota has begun to shut down more places again, including gyms, bowling alleys and movie theaters, which all started on November 20.
My school also shut down recently, with all learning now being fully online. I’m hoping that COVID cases decrease so this is the extent of what is shut down.
Now, since the fall softball season is over, all I can really do is work hard and look forward to what will happen next summer. While I am usually someone who focuses on the present moment, I have been thinking about what I am excited about for the future and what is about to occur.
I am really excited for Christmas break! I’m looking forward to spending the first half of holiday break with my family, then, I’m going to be staying with my pitching coach, Randi Davis, and get in many lessons over four days. I’m also going to be helping give lessons and stay with her stepdaughters, Belah and Baleigh, who are my favorites!
This will be a great end to 2020 and beginning to 2021, which is going to be an exciting year!
First, I am going to be graduating from high school in June. I am really excited to be able to complete that huge milestone. I’m really looking forward to my graduation party and being able to celebrate with my family and friends.
Then, I am going to be able play another great summer season with my club team. We will be playing in many high-profile events, including PGF Premier Nationals, IDT in Boulder and many more. It is going to be a great summer, and a great chance to prepare for college ball.
Finally, I will be moving almost 2,000 miles away from home, to the University of Oregon in the fall. It will be bittersweet, as I’m going to really miss my friends and my family, but I am excited to be able to take this next step.
I’m really excited to be able to work with two of the best pitching coaches in the country and an outstanding hitting coach, and be able to play against the best teams That Div. I softball has to offer
So, despite the rollercoaster of a year that has been 2020, all I can do now is look back upon the positive aspects, and work towards my goals and count the days until 2021!
— Allison Benning
