2025 SVM Softball Player of the Year: Morrison’s Bella Duncan

Morrison senior Bella Duncan’s statistics on the softball diamond this past spring were eye-popping.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story of her impact on the team.

As impressive as her numbers in multiple categories were, her energy and enthusiasm from the leadoff spot, the circle and off the field also helped the Fillies to their best season since 2017.

Duncan is the 2025 Sauk Valley Media Softball Player of the Year.

“She’s got that spotlight on her,” Morrison coach Chelsea Eads said. “And that’s one of the best things about her, is the way she plays and the way she competes.

“When she brings that energy, everyone is feeding off her.”

Duncan relished being the tone setter, whether she was pitching or leading off at the plate.

“As a pitcher, I’m in control of the game. I’m in control of every inning, every out,” Duncan said. “When the girls on the team see me pumped up, it kind of gets them going automatically. They’ll want to match my energy.

“I do every single thing at 100 miles per hour. I have one speed, and it’s fast and faster. ... When I was younger playing softball, I had to be told to calm down quite a few times.”

Her rapid-fire pace often left batters shaking their heads on their way back to the dugout. Morrison finished 22-5 this season, winning a regional title for the second time in three years and reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.

The Fillies had a 17-game win streak and went 10-0 in their first season in the NUIC South.

Duncan went 16-3 with a 0.88 earned-run average, five no-hitters, one perfect game and a whopping 308 strikeouts and only 17 walks in 127 innings. She allowed just 16 earned runs all season. Her 308 strikeouts were the fourth-most overall in Illinois, according to MaxPreps.

She tied Monica Wright’s single-game school record with 30 strikeouts in a 13-inning, 6-4 win over Fulton.

Offensively, she hit an area-best .606 with 57 hits, 25 RBIs, 25 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 46 runs scored. She was the NUIC South Player of the Year and a first-team all-state pick in Class 2A by the Illinois Coaches Association.

Duncan’s competitiveness has fed into her success.

“I’ve always wanted to win,” she said. “I like to think everything is a competition. When me and my sisters are helping my mom bring groceries in, I always have to carry the most.”

Even her decision to pitch came from a friendly competition with teammate Kaylee Pruis.

“She was a pitcher when we were younger, and I really wanted to be better than her, so I decided I would start pitching, too,” Duncan said with a laugh. “And that’s how it all started.”

Duncan grew up watching a variety of sports before being drawn to softball. Her dad, David, played basketball at St. Ambrose University. Her mom, Taylor, played volleyball in high school. Ava Duncan is a year younger and also pitched for Morrison. The younger sisters are Kinley, 13, and Kendall, 11.

“My mom and my dad were at every single high school game,” Bella Duncan said. “I always have someone to lean on, and that means the world to me.”

Duncan’s success helped get the team back on track, starting her sophomore year after some down seasons. Morrison was a softball powerhouse under Tammy Deter, winning 12 regional titles and five state trophies from 1994 to 2017. Morrison won the 2A state championship in 2011 and last took third in 2017.

Duncan was especially motivated after the team fell short of another regional title her junior year.

“I played every single game like it was my last, and I think that’s what made a big difference for me,” she said. “My senior year my eyes were really open.

“I wasn’t playing for myself, I was playing for the team.”

Duncan’s enthusiasm helped foster a fun environment on a talented team, whether it was chanting in the dugout, painting each other’s faces for a postseason game or dyeing someone’s hair.

“That was by far the most fun I’ve ever had playing softball,” said Duncan, who will continue her softball career at Western Michigan University.

Eads said Duncan’s confidence grew from her sophomore year and she’s stepped up as a leader.

“Not only in the batter’s box, but on the mound, as well,” Eads said. “And a lot of props go to her pitching coach, Larry Rice.”

Rice was there for the start of Duncan’s pitching journey and made the calls when she pitched for Morrison.

“He’s been there since I threw my very first pitch, and I can guarantee he’ll be there to see me throw my last,” Duncan said. “He has made such a big difference. ... He’s like a second dad to me.”

Duncan has helped rejuvenate Morrison softball, inspiring future players.

“Those younger Fillies in Morrison look up to her,” Eads said. “She’s got the natural talent, but she also put in all the work for it. She earned it all.”

Eads said Duncan made her job easy, and the team also bought in. Eads also was a standout at Morrison and played for Deter. Having a player like Bella Duncan pushed her to be at her best in her second year as head coach.

“Sitting in a conference meeting after we were finished, and they’re saying, ‘I’m just glad I don’t have to see Bella Duncan again.’ She’s somebody that you want on your team because of how great she is, how much success she can bring and the fire that she has,” Eads said, “and the way she can get everybody lifted up around her.”

“I was just really trying to leave my mark,” Duncan said, “and make sure that these girls know what it takes to win, and they can carry on what I’ve showed them.”