High School Female Athlete of the Week: Edison softball’s Talia Hannappel was taught not to settle
Edison High softball has a new coach in Jeremy Barnes.
Although he had been an assistant coach for the Chargers for several seasons, Barnes plans to bring his own brand as the head of the program.
One of the first things that he told his players was that respect is earned, rather than given.
That should be a non-issue for senior Talia Hannappel, who never takes anything for granted thanks to her hard-working parents.
“She wanted to go into physical therapy school, so she had to focus a lot of her time and attention in school,” Hannappel said of her mother, Roman. “She went to Long Beach State University, and she was top of her class over there.
“She was a big role model for me because she is so hard-working, and she always talks about all the things she has sacrificed in order to get where she has gone.”
While she credits her mom, who played softball for Ocean View, for getting her into the sport, her dad, Nick, is also ever-present. The man who grew up on a farm in Nebraska and attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse is now a personal catcher for his two daughters.
“He always taught me to work hard for what I want and never settle,” Hannappel said of her father. “Both him and my mom are very big [proponents of] that. Climb the latter, do what you can, but still be a good person at the same time and have your morals.”
On varsity since she was a freshman, Hannappel could have given herself every reason to believe that her path to the pitching circle was blocked. Edison had Arkansas-bound ace Jenna Bloom, who was one grade above her and likely to draw the assignment in big games.
Hannappel demonstrated her ability and importance in the 2018 Sunset League opener her sophomore year, when she struck out nine in a complete-game effort to beat Marina 4-3 at home. Serena Starks won the game with a walk-off single in the ninth.
For the first time in her high school career, Hannappel is the team’s No. 1 starter, but she greatly appreciates the competition that took place between herself and Bloom.
“I always looked up to her as a pitcher because she was always so dominant on the mound,” Hannappel said. “My goal was to basically get up to her level. I always saw her as someone to push me to be better than I was because with her there, I was never able to settle. I always kept pushing myself to be better and I wanted that starting position.
“I’m sure she did also, so it was a constant battle between both of us, but it was a good one to have because we were both pushing each other to be better.”
The designated player was used in abundance with former coach Melissa Roth at the helm for the Chargers, while the pitchers operated out of the flex position.
“She was a big role model for me because she is so hard-working, and she always talks about all the things she has sacrificed in order to get where she has gone.”
— Talia Hannappel, Edison pitcher, on her mother, Roman
In the Surf League, pitchers like Huntington Beach’s Grace Uribe and Marina’s Emily Rush have been dual threats that have been able to impact the game with their bats.
“Talia just kills the ball in practice,” Barnes said. “She needs to be hitting the ball, as well. What’s giving her a chance is in nonleague play, getting her some more looks at [the plate], where when it comes to league play, she’ll be able to hit the ball a lot better than she has in the previous years.”
Hannappel notched three wins in the circle last week. She threw complete games against Mission Viejo on March 3 and Lakewood Artesia on March 7, and she picked up the win in relief of Jenna Gordon in a 4-2 victory over Simi Valley Royal in the Santa Fe Tournament on March 7.
The big hit in that game also came off Hannappel’s bat, as she drove a home run to left field to give the Chargers the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.
For the week, Hannappel amassed 22 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings.
“With my senior class this year, with my four seniors that I do have, all of them are pretty much in a leadership role, per say,” Barnes said. “With Talia being the leader of the pack, the players know that she gets it done in the circle, and she does what she needs to do in order to succeed.”
The Chargers have a 7-1 record to start the season, one that is now on hold due to concerns over the coronavirus.
Starting Friday, sporting events involving Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and Laguna Beach high schools will not be played indefinitely due to ongoing concern about the coronavirus.
Hannappel enjoys going to the beach, reading, and spending time with her younger sister, Sophia, 13, who is also a pitcher. The Chargers may not have to make do without a Hannappel for long after Talia leaves for New Mexico University, where she plans to work her way into the medical field.
“All of my coaches that I’ve had and my parents, especially, have told me that it’s basically a four-for-40 trade-off,” Hannappel said of her upcoming college plans. “I’m going to school for four years, and I’m playing softball there, but I’m getting an education, and I’m getting experience that I can use for the next 40 years.
“What I learn in college will help me for the rest of my life, and I chose the school that I’m going to [in order] to set me up for what I want to do in the future. New Mexico has a top medical school, and I want to be an orthopedic surgeon when I graduate.”
Talia Hannappel
Born: Aug. 14, 2002
Hometown: Huntington Beach
Height: 5 feet 9
Weight: 175 pounds
Sport: Softball
Year: Senior
Coach: Jeremy Barnes
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite movie: “Kicking and Screaming”
Favorite athletic moment: Edison beat Marina 4-3 in nine innings in a Sunset League opener at home on March 29, 2018. Hannappel threw a complete game, striking out nine and allowing two earned runs on six hits.
Week in review: Hannappel earned the win in Edison’s games against Mission Viejo, Artesia and Royal. The New Mexico commit struck out 22 batters over 13 2/3 innings. She also hit the game-winning home run in the Chargers’ 4-2 win over the Highlanders in the Santa Fe Tournament.
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