Bashada starred in softball, basketball at Belle Vernon
Haley Bashada is shown during her softball playing days at Belle Vernon.
Submitted photo
Submitted photo
Haley Bashada is shown during her basketball playing days at Belle Vernon.
Submitted photo
Belle Vernon softball coach Tom Rodriquez (left) stands alongside Haley Bashada as she receives the WTAE Playbook Athlete of the Week in 2012.
Haley Bashada excelled as an athlete at Belle Vernon High School and in the classroom and is still excelling in the classroom as a teacher.
Bashada蘑菇视频 athletic journey began at an early age.
鈥淚 started playing tee ball probably as soon as I could pick up the ball,鈥� Bashada recalled. 鈥淎ctually I had a little plastic set with one of those little red bats and ball and I broke the window in a past house when I was really little. My dad, Dave, was an athlete his whole life so it was like, whoa, she蘑菇视频 probably going to be a really good player one day.
鈥淢y family encouraged me and my dad was my coach throughout my whole life and my family was always there for me. They encouraged me both in softball and basketball.鈥�
Bashada went on to become a softball and basketball standout at Belle Vernon.
On the softball diamond the Leps were 10-2 in the section and 15-5 overall in 2009. They lost in WPIAL semifinals to Franklin Regional, 14-2, and lost in a WPIAL consolation game, 8-2, to West Allegheny.
In 2010 they went 9-3 in the section and 12-7 overall and lost to West Allegheny in first round of the playoffs, 8-2. During the 2011 season the Leopards posted a record of 8-2 in the section and 14-5 overall. They won a WPIAL first-round game against Highlands, 15-4, then lost in the quarterfinals to Yough, 9-1.
In Bashada蘑菇视频 senior campaign in 2012 the Leopards were 8-2 in section play and 17-7 overall. In the WPIAL playoffs they beat Baldwin in the first round, 5-4, and beat Thomas Jefferson in the quarterfinals, 1-0, before losing in the semifinals to Montour, 3-2. Belle Vernon lost the consolation game to Greensburg Salem, 1-0.
鈥淚 had a good group of teammates,鈥� Bashada said. 鈥淲e had played together for years so we always had that good team chemistry because we were friends off the field as well. We always had each others backs and just kind of trusted each other and were able to stick together when we got on the field. We always played travel ball together in the summer. That was kind of special because these days everybody is on different travel teams going all over the country, but we had our own little Belle Vernon or Mon Valley team.
鈥淲e were in the playoffs every year when I played. Now that I鈥檓 coaching I tell the girls don鈥檛 take anything for granted because this isn鈥檛 normal because not every team gets to go to the playoffs. It蘑菇视频 really special. At Belle Vernon that蘑菇视频 the standard and that蘑菇视频 what we hope to achieve every year.鈥�
Bashada had a great relationship with Belle Vernon coach Tom Rodriquez.
鈥淗e was always such a great mentor,鈥� Bashada said. 鈥淗e really trusted me to work really hard and do my thing, especially as a pitcher. He has always looked upon me as a great person and I was really honored when he asked me to be a coach with him.鈥�
Bashada was a four-year starter and a three-year captain at Belle Vernon. She could play anywhere on the field, but played mostly shortstop and pitched.
鈥淚 actually played third base a lot,鈥� Bashada offered. 鈥淚 started at third base my freshman year because we had an awesome shortstop who was a senior. Then my sophomore year that spot came open and really had never played there, but I was good enough to fill that spot and I pitched.
鈥淚 really loved third base, but pitching, I hung my hat on that. I just had such a good curve ball. It was slower and batters always whiffed on it. That pitch was very unique.鈥�
Bashada had great numbers with the Leopards with a .416 batting average, 21 doubles, seven homers and 62 RBIs. On the mound she was 26-8 with 208 strikeouts, 42 walks and a 1.70 ERA. She was all-section three years and all state honorable mention. She was a WTAE Playbook Athlete of the Week in 2012.
鈥淚n the moment you are just trying to do the best for your team,鈥� Bashada said. 鈥淲hen the awards come, you are excited. Looking back 11 years out of high school it was pretty special.鈥�
Bashada played basketball for the Leopards on teams that went 7-15 in 2008-09, 14-9 in 2009-10, 7-14 in 2010-11 and 13-12 in 2011-12.
鈥淚 started playing hoops in fourth grade,鈥� Bashada stated. 鈥淚 was more of a defensive player, but I had a good three-point shot.鈥�
Bashada tallied 644 career points at Belle Vernon.
One of the highlights for Bashada was playing softball and basketball at BVA with her younger sister Natalie.
鈥淚t was a lot of fun because our dad was our coach,鈥� Bashada offered. 鈥淪he was a year behind me.鈥�
When Bashada graduated from Belle Vernon in 2012 she sifted through some college scholarship offers.
鈥淚 had a lot of D-3 schools looking at me,鈥� Bashada explained. 鈥淚 always had Cal U in the back of my mind. I didn鈥檛 really want to go there because it was like the backyard school, everybody from Belle Vernon goes there. I was going to go to Penn State just to go to school.
鈥淭oward the end of my senior year Coach Rick Bertagnolli of Cal U called me and wanted me to come. I also got a full-tuition academic scholarship to Cal U and I wanted to be a teacher.鈥�
At Cal U Bashada was on squads that posted records of 38-6 in 2012-13, 37-5 in 2013-14 and 43-13 in 2014-15.
Bashada was used out of the bullpen at Cal U, but she did hit a grand slam her freshman year.
鈥淚 will never forget the grand slam,鈥� Bashada stated. 鈥淭hey used me in relief and that is a different mentality. It was different in high school, your the best player and now you are with a lot of good players. My junior year we went to Oklahoma City for the Final Four and it was amazing. We were competitive.鈥�
Bashada decided not to play her senior year, focusing on her career, and started tutoring for the Upward Bound program, and traveled to Cuba.
Her career stats at Cal U were a 9-4 record with one save and a 2.17 ERA.
Bashada started coaching after graduating from Cal U. She was an assistant softball coach at Baldwin for one year during student teaching/long-term sub. Started coaching under Rodriguez at BVA for the 2018 WPIAL championship season (currently in her sixth year).
Bashada was a 4.0 student at Cal U and is currently a Spanish teacher at California Area High School. She has won many awards as a teacher, including Teacher As Hero Award, National Liberty Museum (1 of 11 educators nationwide to be awarded), in December of 2022.
Belle Vernon is still home for Bashada and her husband Garrett McLaughlin. They have been married for two years and were high school sweethearts.
Looking back, Bashada is pleased with her accomplishments.
鈥淎cademics always came first,鈥� Bashada said. 鈥淪oftball and sports were great and I still tell athletes that the classroom comes first because it will get you somewhere in life.鈥�
George Von Benko蘑菇视频 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Sunday editions of the 蘑菇视频. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.