Bonney Lake’s Brooke Nelson is so much more than a softball player
BONNEY LAKE, Wash. — Brooke Nelson is most known for being a pitcher and first baseman for the University of Washington softball team. She grew up in Bonney Lake, Washington, in a very athletic family. Her father, Ed, played football at the University of Washington, and her mother, Lori, played basketball and softball at Tacoma Community College.
Brooke played varsity softball with her sister, Brynn, and varsity volleyball. Brooke and Brynn were pivotal to the Bonney Lake High School softball team. They were a part of the 2018 13-inning state championship victory for Bonney Lake High School. It was the longest Washington State Championship game ever recorded and the first state title for Bonney Lake High School.
Brooke dreamed of playing softball at the University of Washington. In high school, she received numerous accolades, like Washington Gatorade Player of the Year and 3A State Player of the Year. She took her talents to Seattle to play for the Huskies softball team.
In Brooke’s freshman season at the University of Washington, she made a much more significant impact on the mound than at the plate. She only had 11 at-bats in the COVID-19 shortened season but threw 31.2 innings (mainly as a relief pitcher) and had an impressively low ERA of 2.65. Her best game of the season came against No. 3 Texas. She threw five shutout innings in relief and only allowed one batter to reach third base. She received the first win of her college career that day.
Brooke did not have as successful of a sophomore season. She threw 24.1 innings in 12 appearances but gave up 23 earned runs. She had some strong games against San Diego, Hawaii, Portland State and UCLA but struggled as a whole.
Life is not all about softball for Brooke. She enjoys doing outdoor activities like wakeboarding and surfing in her downtime. However, she dipped her toe in a whole new venture when the pandemic shut down the softball season. She started podcasting.
In May 2020, Brooke started producing and hosting her podcast, Off the Dirt with Brooke Nelson. She interviews her teammates and coaches and dives deep into the topic of softball. She credited her podcast with helping her stay close with her teammates while they were apart during the pandemic.
Brooke has big plans for her career after college. She is looking into sports broadcasting as a possible profession when she hangs up her cleats. No matter what happens, I am sure she will make a significant impact in whatever she chooses.
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