Walt Gardziel didn't quite know what to think when a line drive ricocheted off Jessica Wiley's forehead last month during the first inning of the Frontier League "C" Division playoffs.

His first thoughts were for Wiley's safety as he walked to the mound to assess the damage, though he admitted he wasn't sure she'd be coherent — or even conscious — when he got there.

One thing the veteran Thousand Islands softball coach knows all about is Wiley's toughness. Gardziel wasn't a bit surprised when Wiley, this season's All-North Frontier League MVP, eventually finished the game, facing just 23 batters in the victory.

"(Suzy) Fazekas is one of the hardest hitters in the whole league. We not only thought she was done for the day, we were thinking her season might be over, too," Gardziel said. "A lot of kids aren't getting up after a play like that."

The Vikings' standout pitcher has been exuding that type of determination for the past two years after she suffered a torn right ACL in the first game of the 2006 soccer season.

The injury should have sidelined Wiley for seven or eight months. But she was determined not to miss her junior softball season.

"I couldn't be out that long," Wiley said. "Softball was going to start in five. I did exactly what (doctors) said, and I made it back in time."

She returned to the diamond halfway through the 2007 season, setting the stage for this MVP campaign.

Despite missing much of her junior year, Wiley will attend Division II Franklin Pierce University in the fall to play softball. And she started preparing for that opportunity long before she heard the snap in her knee.

The Wiley family front yard looks something like an athlete's paradise. There's an ice rink that doubles as a full-length basketball court. A full-size batting cage sits close to that, and there's a full volleyball court, too.

Such resources helped Jessica's brothers, Justin and Jacob, earn Division I baseball scholarships. Her father, Dan, had a plan to help Jessica earn one, too, but she was skeptical at first.

"He came home one day and said, 'I'm going to buy a tractor trailer.' We thought he was crazy," Wiley said. "He got it anyway, and it's great.

"We definitely wouldn't be where we are without all this."

Dan bought the trailer because he and Jessica always had trouble finding space to throw during the winter. It is wired with electricity, and is also heated. Wiley is able to hit every day, and throw live pitches, too. If she wants to work out by herself, Wiley simply loads up the pitching machine, and swings away.

Gardziel said the extra work on her own molded Wiley into a standout player.

"She's one of those kids that knows preparation is the most important part," he said. "Jess has been getting ready for this since the sixth or seventh grade. She understands there's a journey involved, and wins come with the work you put in."

Gardziel said Wiley set single-season school records for batting average (.475), ERA (.679), and hits (33). She faced about 3.8 batters per inning, thanks mostly to the Vikings' .939 fielding percentage. Opponents hit .083 and managed only seven extra-base hits against Wiley.

But Wiley said the best part of the season was playing with a veteran group of teammates, reaching the sectional semifinals and giving Sandy Creek a serious challenge for the "C" Division crown. The Vikings were 3-12 during Wiley's freshman season.

"We were pretty excited going in," she said. "We came out strong and knew it would be a good season. Probably the unity of our team helped the most."