From one of the most feared baseball players to one of the best softball players in the region, senior Rebecca Kirshner has been on the diamond for almost her entire life.

Kirshner has been playing softball for four and a half years, and played baseball from the age of five to the age of 13.

Kirshner played baseball for the Gaithersburg Sports Association, and was one of the best players in the league. Many opposing players underestimated her because she was a girl, but she silenced them and earned their respect.

At the age of 14, Kirshner shifted from baseball to softball, beginning with playing for the Maryland Champions. “Softball is really my passion. When I played baseball I remember that I refused to ever play softball. I thought it was a sport that boys made girls play because they couldn’t keep up with the boys. But it really is an entirely different sport, and I love it more than I ever did baseball,” Kirshner says.

Kirshner has started on the varsity softball team since her freshman year. During her freshman, sophomore and junior years, Kirshner received the first team All-Gazette honors. Her sophomore year, she received the first team All-Region honors in the Washington Examiner, and her junior year she received second team. On top of that, all three years she has played she received All-Met honorable mention in the Washington Post.

This year, Kirshner starts at shortstop and bats fourth in the lineup with a .500 batting average. Last year, she batted .486 and drove in 21 runs.

Howard playes in the MEAC and has a winning record this year. It plays such schools as University of Maryland Baltimore County, Marist, Akron and Hampton, among others.

Next year, Kirshner will attend Howard University, where she received a 50 percent scholarship to play softball. “I am so excited to play in college. I’m looking forward to improving my skills and seeing how I compete against some of the best teams and players in the country. I hope to keep playing until I physically can’t anymore,” Kirshner says.