Carmel senior Aly Krogman’s background has come in handy on the field this season.
Krogman, who has two younger siblings, was thrust into a magnified role after two prominent teammates suffered serious knee injuries before tryouts.
“Being an older sibling, I have a lot of experience dealing with younger ages, plus with babysitting,” she said. “I like being able to set an example and help them through their own journey.”
Krogman’s journey took a turn when junior Grace Brown and sophomore Grace King, who combined to hit 20 homers and drive in 95 runs to power Carmel to the Class 3A sectional semifinals last year, got hurt. Krogman, a pitcher/infielder who was already slated to be a pivotal player as one of three returning starters for the Corsairs, had to adapt quickly.
“Obviously, they both are key players,” she said. “They would’ve been a big piece of the puzzle this year. I was shocked at first. I was bummed to lose them.”
But Krogman, Carmel’s ace and leadoff hitter, said she learned something about herself during the first few weeks of the season.
“I definitely didn’t know I was this big of a leader,” she said. “I always thought of myself as more of a follower. This year really opened up my eyes to what I can really do as a leader.”
Krogman, a Loras commit, is also producing for the Corsairs (9-13). She’s hitting .359 and has been a strong presence in the circle against several high-profile teams to post a 5.53 ERA.
Carmel coach Nicole Parney said Krogman was instrumental in the team’s turnaround. After the Corsairs lost their first four games, Krogman struck out 10 over 12 1/3 innings and hit .444 during a four-game stretch in early April. But Krogman’s stewardship was important too.
“I think she’s really stepped up her leadership and taken the younger girls under her wing, helping develop them and being a positive role model,” Parney said. “I’ve known her for several years, since I coached her in travel. She’s really come out of her shell more this year and opened up a lot more.”
Krogman’s father, Nate, said he’s not surprised to see how well she has handled her leadership role.
“Aly has a huge heart that she wears on her sleeve, which her teammates and coaches know well,” Nate Krogman said. “She brings that same heart and love to her siblings and is a positive role model for them at home and in the classroom.”
Aly Krogman, who said she likes to make home videos of her family in her spare time and plans to major in photography and videography at Loras, is pleased with her progress.
“Confidence has always been my main issue pitching-wise, but I feel I’ve grown significantly this year in that area,” she said. “I’ve gotten better at locating my pitches and increased my movement on my spinning balls.
“As a fielder, I’ve gotten better with my range. I’ve gotten a lot more power behind the ball (hitting) this year. But I’m proud of everyone’s growth. This team has a lot of potential.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
