By: Terri Todd – Contributor
Softball season has taken off and the team is starting to take things more serious with every game.
Not only is the team making a great run, but freshman pitcher Katherine Batey is making a name for herself as well.
On March 3, she pitched the fourth perfect game in school history, coming up with six strikeouts in a 9-0 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
Batey was named the Lone Star Conference pitcher of the week thanks to her performance.
While a no-hitter, which is when a team does not get any hits earned off of a pitcher, occurs somewhat frequently in softball, a perfect game requires that a team does not earn any hits as well as not earning any bases off of a walk or error.
“When I pitched the perfect game, it was the best feeling,” Batey said.
Batey, who is originally from Plano, Texas, started playing softball at the age of four.
Batey led Plano Senior High’s softball team to a 26-6 record during her senior season in 2012.
She was named Max Preps’ second team All-American Pitcher, and ESPN-Rise second team All-American Pitcher in 2011.
Once she graduated, Batey knew that she wanted to continue her playing career into college and chose to come to MSU.
“I’ve always wanted to play in college because I know there is no chance of playing after that and I want to play as long as I can,” Batey said.
Batey always says a small little prayer before she pitches, but otherwise she normally has no ritual.
Having Batey at Midwestern has really stepped up the teams’ game, and the great thing is Batey loves it here.
“When I came to visit MSU, I fell in love with the campus, and I really like the coaches,” Batey said.
With Batey at the helm, the softball team currently sits at 27-11 on the season, with a 6-6 conference record in the Lone Star Conference.
At this point in the season, the team has already surpassed last season’s just above .500 record of 26-25.
Along with the leadership of senior outfielder Elena Bennet and junior catcher Kim Jerrick, and the power-hitting behind freshman designated hitter Katelyn Vinson’s eight-game hitting streak, the softball team looks poised to repeat 2011’s trip to the college world series, rather than bowing out in the second round of the LSC tournament like 2012.
