For Annie Mueller, the stats, days, months, and years are all about the numbers.

A single-season school record 42 hits, the third-highest batting average (.525) in team history, the third-most RBIs (38) and the third most home runs (six) in program history.

But these are not the numbers that mean the most to the FloSoftball All-American candidate and Pacific (MO) High School rising sophomore.



For Mueller, the most important numbers are 10 and 30 -- as in 10 years cancer-free and the 30 months of chemotherapy she had to endure to celebrate that number. They are the numbers that she believes helped make her one of the region's top players.

"She is fearless, aggressive, and reliable, regardless of whether we put her at third base or at catcher," Pacific head coach Tonya Lewis said. "Annie is one of the hardest workers I have ever been around, and although she was only a freshman, she was the cornerstone of our team. Her teammates just seemed to gravitate around her and just follow her cues."

The fact that Mueller has evolved into one of the top players in the region is nothing short of a miracle in itself.

At age 2, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a form of childhood cancer that is often deadly. Once her cancer went into remission, she underwent 30 months of grueling chemotherapy treatments and was also subject to multiple spinal taps and bone marrow aspirations.

Mueller says she was somewhat fortunate that she was so young when she contracted the disease, because she doesn't remember a lot of the pain and bad days. However, she does remember that a lot of friends she made while getting treatment were not so fortunate and passed away.

After her chemo ended, Mueller had to go back to the hospital monthly for testing to make sure the cancer did not return. The frequency of those visits was gradually reduced to every three months and then every year. After five years, she was officially declared cancer-free, but she still needs to be tested yearly.

In addition, doctors have told her the leukemia has made her vulnerable to additional cancers, so she must always wear 100 SPF sunscreen on the field, eat well, and constantly monitor her health.

"I was very, very lucky, my treatments went well, and I got better," Mueller said. "But it always made me sad when I realized one of my fellow patients was not as fortunate and didn't make it. As I got older, I really wanted to make it my mission to help other kids who were experiencing the same thing."

That help started with Mueller and her mother, who decided to participate in an event called Light the Night Walk, a fundraiser for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. The event inspired Annie and her family to organize Annie's Angels, a team of family, friends, and volunteers that now participates in the event every year.


To date, Annie's Angels has raised more than $20,000 for pediatric cancer research.

Her team and classmates expanded the efforts this year by creating and selling sweatshirts and donating the proceeds to Friends of Kids With Cancer, a St. Louis-based charity that offers programs and support to children with cancer and their families.

Mueller believes that going through the ordeal has made her a better athlete and person.

"It's hard to explain to people who have never had to deal with it, but it definitely made me stronger," she said. "It taught me that you should never give up and you can do anything if you put your mind to it. It also made me more aware of others. No matter what happens to you, there are others who have it worse."

Mueller's determination has made her a star on both the field and in the classroom. In addition to being named Pacific's Player of the Year and earning first team all-district, all-conference, and all-region honors, she carries an impressive 3.75 GPA in the classroom.

"She is really a coach's dream," Lewis said. "She's the first on the field and the last player off at practices. She is always looking to take extra infield or getting a few more swings in the cage. She is never satisfied with her performance and is always looking for ways to improve. She truly loves the sport, and that is reflected in her work ethic."

Whether its hits or home runs, raising thousands for cancer research, posting big numbers in the classroom, or inspiring her many friends and fellow cancer survivors, Annie Mueller has All-America numbers.

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