“Are we practicing today?”

“Are we practicing today?”

From an early age, that’s been Alana Stuart’s most frequently asked question.

“And she would get upset if we couldn’t,” said her mother and her Warren Area High School softball coach, Carissa Stuart.

Submitted photo Warren senior Alana Stuart will continue her academic and softball career next year at Division 1 Mercyhurst University.

“We can’t imagine the hours she has put into practicing,” said Carissa. “It didn’t matter where we were or what was going on, she would find a way to practice. You could see her doing drills during her brother’s baseball games, throwing at the YMCA in the winter, and even on vacation we would find a field to practice.

“Ever since Alana was little, we could tell she was very competitive, possibly too much at times, and extremely athletic,” she added. “It all started watching her older sister, Kelsey, practice and one day Alana gave it a try. … She hasn’t stopped since. That consistency we would say is the key to where Alana is today.”

Where she is today is committed to the Division I Mercyhurst University women’s softball team beginning next fall.

“Now that I have decided where I will be furthering my academic and athletic career, I can say it is a huge relief,” said Alana. “With that being said, I’m also nervous and excited at the same time.

“My decision came down to two offers — Oakland University and Mercyhurst University,” she said. “I first went on a visit to Oakland and the campus was beautiful, but I still wanted to give Mercyhurst a shot. I am so happy I did. Coach (Leanne) Baker made me feel like I was at home on my visit. The campus is amazing. I met the whole team and loved all of the girls and met the other recruits on my visit as well. I knew as soon as I was on my drive home that’s where I wanted to play softball.”

Playing college softball is something Alana has aspired to do since she was little.

“I would say when I was around 13 years old was when I started taking it very seriously,” she said. “In my first years ever playing softball, I was actually a catcher, but as soon as I started pitching, I never looked back.”

In three seasons, Stuart is a two-time region all-star at pitcher (freshman and junior), as well as once in the field — third base — for her offensive prowess.

“Pitching throughout all of these years did catch up to me my sophomore year,” said Alana. “Halfway through the high school season that year, I sprained my rotator cuff mid-game. I was out the whole second half of the season.

“I always had my eyes on the prize,” she said, “whether it was in the back of my head or the only thing I could think about. With that being said, there were times where I doubted my abilities and lacked confidence. Getting through those periods of time where I didn’t know if I would make it to the level I wanted to play at was difficult. There were good and bad days, but I knew one day all of my hard work was going to pay off if I kept my head in the right direction.

“Now that I have already committed, there is still work to be done. Committing is just the first step. To earn my spot on the field, I have to continue working hard.”

She’s probably practicing today, although she loves basketball too much to give it up in her last high school season.

“My biggest mentors and influences are my family,” said Alana.

“My mom, Carissa, played college ball and my older sister, Kelsey, is playing right now at Penn State Dubois. My dad also grew up playing multiple sports and is very athletic. They all have helped me every step of the way. My mom has caught me throughout all of these years and taught me everything I know about pitching. When there were days she couldn’t, my dad was right there ready to step in. Kelsey and I used to work out together before she went to college and I always looked up to her. I can’t thank my parents enough for pushing me to my best abilities and spending countless hours traveling all over the country with me, and for all of the money spent to make this dream come true.

“I’ve played basketball as long as I’ve played softball,” added Alana. “Basketball has helped me not only physically, but mentally as well. With summer workouts and the long seasons, it’s helped me reach goals I set for myself in softball, whether it was pitching speed or hitting power. I learned many life lessons playing basketball and I give a huge thanks to Lisa (LaVan) and Jenny (Phillips) for also supporting me throughout this process as well. I’ll always have a special place for basketball in my heart.

“Being on the mound brings out a different side of me,” she said. “Adrenaline kicks in and I love being in control. Everything flows through the pitcher. I think my love for the game will continue forever. If there’s anything injuries have taught me, it was that I don’t know what I would do without it.

“One of my teammates on my travel team (Ohio Outlaws Premiere) will also be attending Mercyhurst,” said Alana. “She’s a middle infielder. I can’t wait to play at the next level with her. I’ve also played against a couple of the girls that are already there. At first, I was not considering Mercyhurst. It was always in the back of my mind. After they turned D1 and Coach Baker reached out to me, that’s when I really started thinking about the school. There aren’t many D1 schools around here, so I was pumped to hear the news.

“For this high school season, being already committed and having the weight lifted off of my chest, I want to take in and enjoy my senior season,” said Alana. “I want to make memories with the girls I’ve grown up with. I can’t wait to be back fully in action again and have a great season and grind out my last year. Most of all, I get to share the field one last time with my mom.”

Alana started playing softball around second grade and “not long after, I started pitching,” she said. “Looking back, I remember not being able to wait to be as good as the older girls. Back then, though, I didn’t even really know what college softball was, so I was playing out of pure joy for the game.”

That “joy for the game” has helped get her to this point.

“Going back to when she was 10 years old, playing with the local Dirt Devils travel team, we’ve been very lucky that she has always been surrounded with great people and teammates from the very beginning,” said Carissa. “That’s where her love of softball started. She fully enjoyed every second playing with those girls. As she got older, more opportunities to play arose by subbing with other local travel teams throughout northwest Pennsylvania. In the last few years, as the recruiting process became more serious, she played for Team Pennsylvania and currently for the Ohio Outlaws. She has traveled up and down the east coast from New Jersey to Florida playing against elite teams in front of coaches from some of the top programs in the country. Watching her go through this process, we’ve seen her have setbacks mentally and physically and yet she’s never given up.

“Alana is very compassionate and humble, (but her) determination to set goals and achieve them is very inspiring,” added Carissa. “She’s very grateful for all the opportunities that she has been given. To watch her grow from a little girl into a strong young woman and achieve her dream is everything that we could have ever wanted for her.”