BRONSON — Bronson senior Ashlynn Harris and softball coach Becky Gray have a mutual agreement.
When it comes to softball, the pair refuse to speak about it when they are outside the lines. It might not always be easy for fiery Aunt Becky and her niece, but they’ve grown accustomed to making it work. Because Harris is family, Gray said she can be harder on her because of expectations, but their understanding and agreement has helped them flourish both on and off the field.
“We have a conversation before every year, we leave it between the lines,” Gray said. “Once games or practices are over, we try our best to go back to Aunt Becky and niece. I think it works great.”
Harris, a graduate to be at Bronson Jr./Sr. High School, will be continuing her academic and softball careers post high school at Madonna University in Livonia. Currently, she’s enrolled as an Early Middle College student at nearby Glen Oaks Community College, but Harris said that won’t be a problem for her eligibility at the next level. Madonna is a member of NAIA, so Harris will have her four-year allotment once she steps foot on campus.
For Harris, Madonna felt like the place to be during her recruitment process.
“Once I was on campus, I just felt like it was the place for me. In my experience there and the surroundings with the team, I knew it right away,” she said. “I wouldn’t say I’m nervous about it, I’m more excited. The team atmosphere was great and I’m excited for that opportunity.”
Harris is one of the better pitchers in the area. But when it comes to playing other positions, she said that’s just fine as well. During her travel ball seasons, Harris found herself playing in the outfield at times. She’s also seen innings outside of the pitching circle for Gray and the Vikings as well.
Pitching every game is not on the duo’s radar.
“Hopefully we can do what we did last year in avoiding pitching every game. Tournament time might be different, but we don’t think it’s smart for her to throw every game during the season,” Gray said. “Madison Shaw has helped us out there quite a bit. She’s done a good job for us so Ashlynn doesn’t have to pitch all the time.”
Both Gray and Harris said the opportunity to play multiple spots in college is a real one. Harris just wants to get on the field and play as much as possible. She’s also not looking past her senior season with the Vikings.
There is relief, though, because she knows where she will be attending college. She’s a good student with a 3.95 GPA who has solid time management skills as well. When it comes to studying in college, Harris said she plans to pursue a career in nursing.
“Helping people is what fits me,” she said.
Gray said she has a solid work ethic which should translate to the next level. She’s dedicated to continually getting better and is always putting in extra work when she can.
During the fall sports season, Harris ran cross country for the Vikings. As one of the better runners in the area, she learned how to gain mental toughness for softball while pushing herself. While running a cross country race doesn’t exactly equate to throwing strikes, being mentally prepared when things go awry is a plus.
“I think it helped a lot actually,” she said. “It helped me a lot with my mental toughness, which is a big part of the game. During that second mile when you don’t think you have anything left, you find a way. Cross really helped with my perseverance.”
Madonna and playing softball at the next level will test Harris. But she’s ready for that. The Crusaders have done a lot of winning each of the past two seasons, finishing 54-6 in 2024 and 45-10 last year. They did not drop a conference game in either season. This year’s (2026) group opens up the season in early February.
“I think it’s a good fit for her, she’s gonna like it,” Gray said.
Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Aunt-niece relationship fuels expectations for Bronson’s Harris
Reporting by Brandon Watson, Sturgis Journal / Sturgis Journal
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