April 29, 2000

By Melissa Crombet

For those of you who do not know Mia Brickhouse, although I highly doubt there are many who don't, she is the girl walking around campus with her sleeves rolled up and flexing her muscles to the world. On the field, her uniform is always covered in dirt, and usually her socks are falling down. I have had the pleasure of being Mia's teammate for the past four years, and I am quite grateful that I have had this opportunity.

Mia joined the team as a walk on, which I must say, is an amazing feat in itself. It is very difficult to join a Division 1 team without being recruited. The coaches had no choice but to welcome Mia to the team as she stunned us all with her amazing speed and natural feel for the game. Surprisingly, Mia did not receive much playing time her freshman year, but I do recall one instance where she gave us all a glimpse of the player she would eventually become. We were playing against Textile, and Mia was called upon to pinch hit. None of us really knew what she was capable of because her at bats had been limited. Well, Mia stepped in there and ripped a triple down the right field line! We were all going crazy, and were so excited for Mia. From that point on, whenever Mia hits an extra base hit, we refer to it as a Textile shot!

By Mia's sophomore year she eased into the role as the starting center fielder, and hasn't looked back since. She is one of the top base stealers in the Big East, and can run down just about any ball in the outfield. She intimidates opponents with her confident demeanor, and many times, they do not even attempt to make a play on her because she is so difficult to get out.

Mia's teammates describe her as funny, energetic, caring, and unique. She is a great sset to the team because she always works hard and challenges us every day. Most importantly, Mia makes us laugh at ourselves. She makes softball fun, and truly is a joy to play with.