Star infielder Kali Heivilin comes from a town in Michigan called Three Rivers.
She made a name for herself there, as she was a three-time first-team All-State and set the state record for single-season home runs. When it was time for Heivilin to decide on a college in 2021, it would have been reasonable to think she would go somewhere close to home, where she had seen so much success.
Instead, she chose to play college softball over 700 miles away in Tuscaloosa. Through 180 collegiate games played, 25 home runs and 85 RBIs later, the senior has felt right at home in Alabama.
She grew up competing in softball, volleyball, basketball, track and even powerlifting, but she knew softball was what she wanted to play in college. Heivilin also knew she wanted to come to the South, and Alabama was just what she sought.
“Growing up in Michigan with the snow, it wasn’t fun,” Heivilin said. “I knew I wanted to be in the South, and when I got on campus, it was such a family atmosphere even 10 1/2 hours away, and that’s all I wanted.”
Another reason Heivilin has felt so at home with the Crimson Tide is the presence of head coach Patrick Murphy, who started recruiting her in 2018 and has made her four years with the softball program as enjoyable as possible.
“He truly cares about the person over the athlete, and he just teaches you how to be a good person,” Heivilin said. “Yes, having him as a coach has been amazing. But having him as a personal life mentor as well has been the best.”
Heivilin got the chance to reflect on her journey and how far she has come in Tuscaloosa on March 16 before a game against Texas A&M, when she had her Senior Day. It was something she says she has been waiting for the past four years.
“I’ve seen every senior go through this program and have their special moment, and I just couldn’t wait to be able to have mine,” Heivilin said. “I had 42 family members here as well, so being able to have them experience that with me made it just the most perfect day.”
Heivilin, who considers herself “very superstitious” and eats two fruit snacks before every game, has been a mainstay in the Crimson Tide lineup during her career. She started 56 games her sophomore year and all 59 games last season.
But she has taken her game to new heights this season. After posting a .238 batting average, 15 homers and a .720 OPS in her first three seasons, she has had an offensive explosion during her final campaign with a .365 average, a team-high 10 homers and a 1.235 OPS through just 32 games.
For Heivilin, the key to her newfound success has been a stronger mental approach, and her experience has helped her stay more steady.
“My new approach is just not getting too high or too low. If I have a bad game, I can’t dwell on it, but if I have a good game, I can’t get too excited,” Heivilin said. “I only have three months left, so I’m making sure to just have fun with it no matter what happens.”
With these final three months ahead of her, Heivilin hasn’t decided what she wants to do after college. Staying in softball is an option, but she also has a kinesiology degree and is considering doing medical sales.
“Whatever it is, I just want to be active, because I do not like staying inside too long,” Heivilin said. “I also just want to do something that involves helping people, which is what I’ve always loved doing.”
She said what she’ll miss most about Alabama is simply being able to see her best friends every day, as she even misses them during time off like winter break.
Her favorite memory in Tuscaloosa came in her sophomore season during Super Regionals. Alabama was playing host to Northwestern and lost in the first game, but rallied back and won the next two games to claim a ticket to the College World Series.
Interestingly, nearly the same scenario happened the following season when the Crimson Tide was in the Super Regionals against Tennessee in Knoxville and was down 1-0 in the series. Again, Alabama rallied back and won the next two games to clinch an appearance in the College World Series.
“Moments that are as special as that just stick with you,” Heivilin said. “We were not predicted to come out of Super Regionals, but we did and we stuck with and trusted each other.”
With the Crimson Tide hunting for another College World Series trip, stay tuned to see how Heivilin will continue to make her mark on Alabama softball in her final months with the program.
