Back into the Swing of Spring Season
Sammie Pettit has been playing softball since she was five years old.
She started with t-ball and fell in love with the sport and has continued, playing four years at high school and, now a senior, four years at Pacific University women’s softball. “My favorite memory was in high school,” she explained, “it had to be my junior year hitting a two run homer over the fence against our biggest rival the Westview Wildcats. That homer secured our spot to win the conference that year!”
At Pacific, Pettit has been playing on the varsity team since her freshman year as a second baseman. “The goal I have going into my senior year season is to go out with a bang,” she stated.
And Pettit also understands her role as a team-player. Now, in her final year, she aspires to help the younger class get better. “We have a lot of new players on and off the field finding that groove playing next to each other is really key. I think once we get that good mesh going we will definitely be a team that is ready to compete this year.”
“Softball is a unique game where it is both an individual and a team sport,” Pettit added. “I think that aspect is really cool because you have that challenge to perform individually that in all will help the team. I also think the community aspect of the game of softball is such a fast and challenging sport filled with lots of cheers and spirit that makes this failure sport much more exciting.”
Coach Katie Duroe is the current head coach of the softball team, and she stated that with having a young team comes growing pains. “With having such a young team there are many things that need to be learned on and off the field. Over the summer, we had a leadership team, and an
upperclassman would reach out to the underclassmen and transfers to help them get to know Pacific University better.”
Duroe emphasizes the importance of “accountability”; having teammates who hold each other accountable to the highest of standards will benefit the team on and off the field, she explains. Throughout the fall and winter season the softball team has had intense workouts and practice in preparation for their season—and on March 5, after five months of prep, the team finally took to the field and started the season with conference play; one win, one tie, and one loss against Whitworth University.
The Boxers will play their next home game against Willamette University on March 18 with a noon start time. — Lily Rasmussen
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