Highland softball standout Miener excels in freshman season at Austin Peay University

Highland softball player Sam Miener has gone from high school standout pitcher to starting pitcher at the Division I level.

Miener, a 2021 Highland graduate who helped lead Highland to its first state softball championship in school history in 2021, is readying for her sophomore season at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Miener went 5-8 in 13 starts her freshman season with Governors and said she felt she had a competitive season with plenty of challenges.

“I think I started out super strong for my freshman season and had no regrets on that aspect of it. But I definitely faced new challenges throughout the year such as facing new teams in (different) tournaments in our (Ohio Valley) conference,” Miener said. “Personally, the mental aspect of the game was much bigger for me this year as well.”

This spring, Miener once again had a solid strikeout to walk ratio as she fanned 28 hitters and walked 18 during the 2022 campaign.

“With the way I practice and my (pitching) coach teaches me different drills and stuff, every day is different at practice. So we’re practicing five days a week or six days a week, depending on which season (of the year) we’re in and each day you’re working on something different and you’re challenging yourself,” Miener said. “The way we set up our drills I think it prepares me really well for throwing to batters.”

One big change Miener faced this past season was going from facing high school hitters in the Mississippi Valley Conference to taking on D-I hitters in the Ohio Valley Conference.

“I think the biggest transition is, in high school or travel ball there are a couple of select hitters that are really good hitters. But when I got to college the whole lineup is filled with good hitters and it’s not just one batter you have to zone in on,” Miener said. “Every single pitch you have to hone in on and every pitch that’s even a little over the plate they’re still going to hit it. It’s a game of failure, so they’re gonna hit some of your best pitches regardless.”

Miener also noted speed of the game really accelerated from high school to college but that it was the day-to-day routine that included practice, games, and going to school that really was the biggest adjustment.

“I would say from high school to college is a lot more fast-paced and everything is more challenging and you have to step up your game and you have to be mentally tough. Bringing your mental aspect into it is such a big part of it, especially when you’re going five days a week, multiple practices a day and you’re juggling school on top of it,” Miener said. “It’s like going through your checklist and making sure you stay mentally tough, but I love the process of it and it’s cool I’m missing school right now and ready to go back.”

A look at Austin Peay’s season

Austin Peay finished the 2022 season 30-23 overall.

“I think we started the season really well and then kind of went through a rough patch and we weren’t really playing like ourselves. Things weren’t clicking and then we came back toward the end of the season and I think we finished really strong,” Miener said.

The Governors had their postseason stopped in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 8-3 on May 11 in Oxford, Alabama.

The Governors had swept SIUE three straight games at home the week prior, but, in the tournament, the Cougars turned the tables on them.

“We didn’t end (the season) how wanted to because the series before we played (them) in the conference and we swept them that Saturday and Sunday and then we turned around and played them Wednesday and we just didn’t play like ourselves,” Miener said. “We started out the game well and were winning and then they got a couple of hits and just kind of let them take control of the game.”

HHS grad enjoys freshman campaign

In spite of the early postseason exit, Miener said she really relished her freshman season with the Governors.

“Overall, the season was super enjoyable and everyone grew throughout the season, and it was great to learn from the upperclassmen and from girls that are 23 that are still here because of the COVID year and redshirt years, so it was really cool to learn from them and their aspect of the game.”

Since the start of the summer, Miener has been working at Rail Shake and Highland Auto Wash and giving pitching lessons to young area softball players when she is not doing her own pitching lessons.

“I like to stay busy, so I’ve been working a lot when not working out,” Miener said.

Conference switch, getting mentally tougher

Miener is looking to focus on two mains goal as Austin Peay switches conferences next season from the OVC to the Atlantic Sun Conference.: Being mentally tougher in the circle and developing a sharper curve ball.

“I know I need to get mentally tougher and I want my pitches to be extremely hard breaking and getting them to appear as a pitch over the plate but then once it gets there, it ‘s not (there),” Miener said.

This story was originally published June 27, 2022 at 6:20 PM.