By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
Shortstops are easy to spot, even before they take the field. There’s just a certain way they walk, an air of confidence about them. They know they are the best athlete on the field. If you’re not sure if you’re the best athlete on the field, guess what? You’re not a shortstop.
And even after two torn ACLs — one in each knee — Ocean City senior Keani Hindle still walks like a shortstop. She still has that confidence that she can make any play, get the big hit when her team needs one, steal a base, score a run. Those kinds of things come naturally to Hindle, and always have. That’s probably fitting for a girl who’s first name is Hawaiian for “cool breeze.”
Ironically, Hindle’s athleticism as a natural shortstop has kind of prevented her from playing shortstop before this season. As a freshman, coach John Bruno had her in left field. After losing her sophomore year to a torn ACL in her right knee, as a junior Bruno switched her to second base to partner in the middle infield with Rachael Zeides. He also needed her to pitch last year. Now, as a senior, Hindle is back home where she feels most comfortable.
“It definitely feels great to be back at shortstop. Not to say I didn’t like pitching or playing second base, I’ve just always felt more at home at shortstop,” Hindle said. “I feel like it’s more the team that is coming together. We’re all giving 100 percent no matter what position we’re playing, and we’re coming together really well. I’m proud of my teammates because they are all working so hard.”
If the Hindle name sounds familiar, it should. Older sister Malia was a standout for the Red Raiders and now plays for the Coast Guard Academy. Like Keani, Bruno was able to use Malia at multiple positions during her high school career.
“Both Malia and she are very versatile. When Malia was a freshman, we needed her to play first base and she was a very good first baseman before we were able to switch her over to second. And Keani was a very good outfielder, and she’s played other positions. She’s willing to do anything for the team, and that’s a sign of a good leader,” Bruno said. “Nowadays, we don’t see that. Kids get in their heads what they want to do, and if you try to move them they get resistant. But she’s been more than willing to play anywhere. I asked her to pitch prior to last year, and she worked on her pitching all winter long. Everything she does is good for the team. Whatever we need, she’ll do it. She just wants to play. And that’s valuable, because players coming up will say to themselves, ‘if a player like Keani is willing to play other positions, maybe I should be, too.’ She probably doesn’t even realize she’s setting a tone on how to be coachable and help the team first and worry about yourself second.”
Being back at her natural defensive position seems to have sparked Hindle’s offensive game, too. Through the first nine games of the season — of which Ocean City won five — Hindle had 14 hits in 27 at-bats. Of those hits, 10 went for extra bases (five doubles, a triple and four home runs) and she also had 15 runs scored and 16 RBIs.
“What’s impressed me is she has improved every year. That’s what you look for — not how good somebody is, but how much better they became,” Bruno said.
“When I’m at the plate I don’t really think about having to hit for power or hit home runs,” Hindle said. “I just tell myself to hit the ball, get on base and do my job. If it’s a home run, great, if it’s a double, great, or if it’s a single down the line, that’s great, too.”
Coming back from multiple serious knee injuries hasn’t been easy for Hindle. The first came when she was in seventh grade, the second wiped out her sophomore year — the last chance she had to play varsity softball with Malia. But, Hindle said her sister and parents really helped her overcome what could have been career-ending injuries.
“That made it really hard because that was going to be the last year I would have a chance to play alongside my sister. That was one of the most crushing things about it,” Hindle said.
Keani has some high standards to live up to when it comes to Malia. The Coast Guard Academy accepts less than 100 female cadets each year, so obviously Malia is successful off the field. And, in softball, Malia hit .280 this year with a .344 on-base percentage, six doubles, a home run and 16 RBIs.
“It is a high standard, but I’m sure if you talked to her she would say the same thing I’d say. There are parts of me that she always wanted to be like, and there are parts of her I always wanted to be like. For Malia, I know she’s working hard at the Coast Guard Academy, and I can only dream to be as successful as she is right now and as successful as she’s going to be in the future. I look at her and feel like I have to live up to her standard. I’m going to try as hard as I can where I am and hope to be that successful,” Keani said. “My family was a really big contributor (to coming back). Being a kid, you think you’re indestructible. You’re itching to go play. But Malia and my parents really pushed me to do my exercises and work hard to get back. They pushed me really hard and made me succeed. When I look back, I really owe a lot to my family.”
Mark and Lena’s daughters are natural leaders, and Bruno said he is thankful he’s had the Hindles to set the tone for the program the past couple of years.
“She’s more aggressive than Malia. Keani has another gear. She really is a take-charge kind of kid, both on and off the field. When she calls for a ball in the air, you know she’s getting it. That’s the kind of confidence she has. But she’s also a team player, and that’s what’s really nice about her. When one of your best players is an extremely team-oriented player, it goes a long way. She practices as hard as anybody and that sets a great example for not only her teammates, but also the younger kids in the program,” Bruno said. “She leads in a really good way. Sometimes leaders are harsh and aggressive and get in people’s faces to motivate them, but she has a way of just talking to the kids and saying, ‘hey, look, we’re all in this together. I’m going to work hard and I want you to work hard, too.’ The other players really seem to respond to that. She leads by example, and she’s really good at picking the team up and building up their confidence.
“Sometimes kids feel that responsibility of being a senior. And I think having an older sister who was a leader for us, she really feels that it’s important for the seniors to take a leadership role.”
Hindle said she doesn’t care much about her own statistics. Her goals is for the team to have a winning season and make it to the state playoffs.
“When I play a sport, I take it one game at a time and one season at a time. I never really think ahead to, oh, this is how I want it to be. I just want to be the best I can be at that moment. This season feels really good right now,” she said. “You can see it in the girls. This year, these girls are really com
ing together. They’re all smiles during every practice and every game. They are all happy to be there, and when you’re happy to be there, things work out.”
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullsays