Chanhassen's Marybeth Olson is the Metro Player of the Year for softball

After Marybeth Olson's eighth-grade season, Chanhassen coach Joe Coenen took his player aside and informed her of his expectations.

"I said she is where I wanted to take the program," Coenen said. "I said 'I want you to be the face of Chanhassen softball.' We knew then that she was going to be something special."

Four years later, Olson, a senior pitcher/shortstop, is leading the No. 1-ranked Storm back to the Class 4A state tournament in search of their second consecutive state title. And Olson, the team leader in all things softball, is the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year.

Let's get the bona fides out of the way first: A University of Connecticut-signee, she went into the season as part of a planned three-pitcher rotation. She has emerged as the ace, compiling a 12-0 record with an 0.58 ERA and 130 strikeouts in just 72⅓ innings of pitching. When not on the rubber, she's a lockdown defensive shortstop, inhaling ground balls. At the plate, she's hitting a cool .547 with six home runs and 23 RBI, the catalyst for a Storm offense that has outscored opponents 194-12.

Those were the type of numbers Coenen could foresee four years ago.

"You can pick out talent from far away," said teammate Kali O'Keefe, a senior infielder who heard a similar pitch from the coach four years ago. "I'm sure he and a bunch other people saw what was coming."

Talent is only a part of the equation, however. Every team in the upcoming state tournament has that special player or two. What sets Olson apart is, frankly, her short memory. She's always looking forward, thinking a step or two ahead. What happened is gone. What's important is what comes next.

Olson is hazy on Coenen's prognostication, but recalls the message

"Um, I kind of remember it, vaguely," she said. "I just know that the most important thing all four years was having fun and good chemistry."

That's the intangible that sets her apart. When the Storm needs something — a big hit, an encouraging word, a distraction to ease the pressure — it's Olson who steps forward.

When the preseason pitching plan hit a snag, it was Olson who stepped in and carried the pitching load.

"We had three pitchers who were each going to get six, seven games, but we hit some bumps in the road. Marybeth knew she was going to have to carry us in the section tournament," Coenen said. "I can honestly tell you that I've never had a leader like her. She's just amazing. She's the reason we are who we are right now."

While she's helping to keep the rest of the team loose, Olson admitted to feeling the weight of trying to help the team repeat. True to her nature, she gave it some thought and came to the conclusion that she has a great team around her. Why worry?