Time was on her side, and Hannah Beatus made the most of it.
Did she ever.
Count the 2017 West Aurora graduate among the rarest of the rare.
The Grand Valley State pitcher wrapped up a six-year college career on the last day of May as the Lakers completed a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II College World Series.
“It was really, really awesome to close that chapter on a very long softball career,” Beatus said. “I hit a lot of goals, personally and team-wise. I can leave the game confident I was able to accomplish much of what I set out to do.”
Injuries and the pandemic got in the way, but Beatus rolled with the punches, kept competing and finished strong.
Beatus is one of my all-time favorites, and it’s hard to believe I’ve been covering the softball career of this fiery 5-foot-5 right-hander for 10 years, starting with her freshman year of high school when she split duties as a starting pitcher and playing both corner outfield spots for the varsity.
A two-time Beacon-News Softball Player of the Year, Beatus then went 8-2 as a freshman at Grand Valley State.
She was 7-2 through nine starts as a sophomore before taking a medical redshirt due to a hand injury, with the Lakers finishing third in the nation. It also gave Beatus a fifth year of eligibility.
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The following season, she was 6-1 when the pandemic hit, forcing the cancellation of the season and leading the NCAA to grant athletes an extra season.
Beatus then got better and better over three straight full seasons. She capped it this spring by going 30-3 and winning conference pitcher of the year a third straight time. She also earned first team All-American honors after being second and third team the previous two seasons.
“Her competitive drive didn’t change,” Grand Valley State coach Dana Callihan said. “That was one of the things that drew us to her in recruiting. You could just tell she had that self-confidence and determination — what we call swag, swagger if you will.
“She was going to pursue her goals and that confidence spread to the team.”
Beatus did learn that kids do say the darndest things, though.
She had been dubbed “Grandma” by teammates entering her fifth year.
This past season, “I actually got promoted to ‘Great Grandma,'” Beatus said.
Callihan wondered about the age difference.
“Hannah is 24 and we have 18-year-old freshmen,” she said. “That’s a pretty big age gap. We did have some rough spots, but we were able to work through them. Hannah was completely invested, mentally and physically.”
Beatus said experience and perspective were the biggest factors.
“It wasn’t always smooth sailing,” she said. “With experience comes more intensity.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better freshman class, though. We are leaving the program in really good hands.”
Beatus was in her comfort zone, throwing again to senior catcher Morgan Wagner, who was in her fifth year.
While she was familiar with many opposing hitters, they had a book on her, too.
“They did a great job of not falling into a routine or pattern,” Callihan said of her battery.
Callihan also credited the connection Beatus and pitching coach Jen Rivera continued to have as well.
Rivera pitched at Grand Valley State from 2001 to 2004 and dominates the record book with Beatus, who’s third in program history with 97 wins and first with eight no-hitters.
“They had a relationship that, quite frankly, I was envious of,” Callihan said. “They were like two peas in a pod, and Hannah was a sponge. She never had the attitude of, ‘I’ve got this.’ She was always open to learn more.”
In the classroom, Beatus completed her bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s in higher education, with a concentration in college student affairs leadership.
She moved to nearby Grand Rapids, and this week started a job as a NIL program manager with a Nebraska-based firm called Opendorse. She’s working in a new field created by NCAA rules that allow college athletes to earn money from their name, image and likeness.
“One of the things I’ll do is lead education sessions for coaches, athletes, donors and administrators,” Beatus said.
She has the time, starting on the ground floor in the new industry, but will no doubt be going places.