Daily Journal Athlete of the Week: Menlo School’s Ava Allen

Allen has been in stealth mode with the Menlo baseball team since her freshman year. Those who follow the junior-varsity ranks know she’s got game as a middle infielder, a catcher, and a productive hitter who batted over .300 with the JV Knights her sophomore year.

“I always just played Little League all my life,” Allen said. “It was nothing really serious, but when I got to Menlo ... it was kind of a right of passage to just keep playing because I had always played growing up. It was something my dad and I always did together. So it just made sense.”

While spending time on the varsity team in each of her three seasons, one thing Allen still had remaining on her checklist was a varsity hit. Prior to last week, she hadn’t got any chances this season, being used exclusively as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner. She has never ever registered an official varsity at-bat.

“She’s a true competitor,” Knights manager David Trujillo said. “She’s a great teammate. She comes and works hard every day at practice. I’m sure it’s a difficult situation because flag football, she’s a star and the main leader. But she does a great job just being one of the guys. I’m sure it’s not easy for her.”

Then, last Wednesday in Menlo’s 14-0 win over Capuchino, the junior got her name called.

Allen has been named Daily Journal Athlete of the Week after using her first varsity at-bat of the season to cash in. The 5-6, right-handed swinger was looking fastball, and jumped on one to line an RBI single to left field. She now totes a season and career varsity average of 1.000.

In other words, bragging rights.

“She was one of the best players (on JV),” Trujillo said. “She’s like a leadoff hitter, she would catch, she would play middle infield. She was the spark plug, for sure, on that team. The JV team had a really good season last year, and a lot had to do with her.”

With Menlo in the thick of a Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division pennant race, and boasting a stacked varsity offense currently batting .332 as a team, Allen simply hasn’t been able to crack the lineup.

“There’s just not a consistent lineup spot for her,” Trujillo said. “It’s tough because she’s a good player.”

Allen landed at Menlo because she’s focused on academia. Despite all her pursuits in athletics, and interest from several small colleges as a softball recruit, she’s more interested in bypassing collegiate athletics to attend the best academic college she can. This was the same approach she took to choosing Menlo School, despite being accepted to one of the best softball schools in Northern California at St. Francis-Mountain View.

“I think that was hard for me,” Allen said. “I was really deciding last minute between St. Francis ... and Menlo. I think at the end of the day my goal was always to go to the best academic school I could go to.”

Now in her fourth year with Eagles Fastpitch Softball, a San Mateo-based club, she still found a way to fulfill her diamond dreams at Menlo.

“I think that has everything to do with it,” Trujillo said. “I know she plays competitive softball in the offseason and summer. ... I know she’s really talented at it. And this is the next best thing.”

Allen admitted to an adrenaline rush upon entering Wednesday’s game, but not during her at-bat. The junior actually entered the game in the fourth inning of the eventual five-inning mercy-rule game as a defensive replacement at second base. It was a big spot, as sophomore starting pitcher Liam Widner took a no-hitter into the fifth, before Cap sophomore Logan Arceo broke it up with a single to center field as the Mustangs were down to their final out.

“There was definitely adrenaline in the field because our guy was throwing a no-hitter,” Allen said. “So, when I was out there, there was adrenaline.”

Allen was a bit nervous when prior to her at-bat in the top of the fifth, only because she was due up fifth in the inning and wasn’t sure she’d get to bat. A leadoff walk by senior Jack Freehill helped her chances, but the next two batters grounded out. Then, with Allen on deck, Widner got hit by a pitch.

In other words, time to shine.

Allen was in a 1-2 hole, but was looking fastball. She got it and sent a frozen rope into left field.

“She smoked a line-drive RBI single,” Trujillo said. “It was awesome.”