The Heart of America Fastpitch League is excited to announce the HFL’s November Player of the Month: Alexa Riddel!

Hailing from Chesterfield, MO., Riddel is a 2025 graduate who plays for Top Gun Slezak in the 14U division. She has enjoyed an impressive fall on the field and in November alone hit .500 in 26 at-bats with a staggering 17 RBIs and four homeruns.

COACHES FEEDBACK:
Alexa Riddel is a standout CF that swings the bat as good as any! Alexa is a staple to our team and has been clutch offensively and defensively numerous times. She is a leader on our team and takes command of the OF. Alexa is a slick-fielding Centerfielder with an uncanny ability to track balls down while keeping baserunners honest with her great throwing arm and accuracy. Offensively, Alexa is a threat every time she walks to the plate. She can hit for power, but also has the discipline to hit the ball to all parts of the field. Off the field, Alexa is fully committed to this sport and her work ethic defines it. Coming out of her Freshman Season and earning 2^nd Team All-State Honors, Alexa will be an athlete to watch out for in the years ahead!

MEET ALEXA:
Q: Can you share a little bit about your softball story?
Riddel: My first memory of softball was attending my Mom’s Ohio State Alumni games. It was a really cool experience as I got to be on the field and in the dugout during the games. Living in Columbus I got to watch the Buckeyes Spring and Fall seasons every year. It’s hard to appreciate these unique experiences as a child but as I grow older, I understand how blessed I was to have had these opportunities.

I started off playing Tee-Ball, then Rec Ball. After I made a 10u travel team in Cincinnati, Ohio I knew I really liked softball and wanted to take it seriously. I started taking hitting & fielding lessons and investing more time in honing my skills at home.

We moved to St. Louis in the summer of 2020 where I tried out for and made the St. Louis Chaos 07-Slezak team. I continued to put in extra work with lessons and training on top of the organized practices. Through excellent coaching and hard work, I’ve begun to see my efforts really pay off. I’m excited to continue to go down this path and grow as a student-athlete in hopes to play ball at the next level.

Thank you for this great honor in selecting me Player of Month.

Q: What is your favorite softball memory?
Riddel: I have so many softball memories to choose from, but my favorite memory so far is a recent one. We were at the Colorado Sparkler this past summer (2021). We had just lost in the semi-finals after playing great as a team all week.  My coach had us huddle up after the game. He didn’t talk about the game or the loss, he talked about how proud he was of us in how far we had improved since the Fall. He got a little emotional and it was then we all realized how special this team is and how all our hard work had paid off. I didn’t realize when I joined this team how much of an impact these girls and these coaches would have on my life!

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What is the Alliance Fastpitch Player Recognition Program?

The Player Recognition Program was built to recognize and spotlight our individual players in each Member League. Each month, registered Alliance Fastpitch coaches can nominate a player from their age division. League Leadership will review nominations and a monthly stats report from AthletesGoLive (AGL) to determine the League’s Player of the Month.

Following the announcement of each League’s Players of the Month, the Alliance Fastpitch will recognize a National Player of the Month.

To be considered for Player of the Month, your team must score League games in AGL so your stats will be included in the League’s monthly report.