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For the Love of Softball
4/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
by Armando Reveron
Playing ball runs in the family, and for senior outfielder Katie St. Pierre, it is something that she has grown up loving.
"The athletic genes just ran through our family," St. Pierre said.
Arguably the Cougars most consistent hitter, St. Pierre is looking to cap off her college career by reflecting back on how she got here today.
From an early age, St. Pierre and her twin brother, Kyle, were involved in sports. Her father, Gerald, played football and baseball and her mother played softball and was a cheerleader.
St. Pierre and her brother have strengthened their bond through sports, and continue to support one another as they finish their college careers.
"Growing up we had the same friends and we weren't as close as we should have been, but when we went away to college our bond has grown stronger," St. Pierre said.
Kyle plays DII baseball for Delta State University and is one of St. Pierre's biggest supporters. The twins have been playing together since they were four years old.
It was St. Pierre's dad that encouraged her and her brothers to pursue sports. Growing up she was a two-sport athlete, playing basketball and softball, but ultimately chose softball because she felt more passionate about playing softball.
Her motivation for playing comes not only from her family, but her faith. As St. Pierre steps up to the plate, she draws a cross in the dirt just outside the batter's box with her bat.
"I always say to play through Him and for Him," St. Pierre said. "It is a daily reminder of why I play and how I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Him."
St. Pierre sees the opportunity that she has been given to go out and be a role model for her coaches and teammates. Her drive and motivation are contagious. From playing Frisbee with the outfielders while waiting to take the field to staring down the pitcher as she waits for the 2-1 pitch, St. Pierre is always locked in.
It is because of her coaches that St. Pierre is the player she is and she speaks nothing but praise when describing how they have helped mold her into the athlete she is today. St. Pierre credits Associate Head Coach Kristin Vesely for pushing her every day to be better and Head Coach Kyla Holas' "go-getter" attitude for helping give the team that competitive edge.
As a freshman, St. Pierre batted for the highest average (.376) for a freshman in program history and led the team with 67 hits. Most incredibly, she set a program-record when she belted a 21-game hit streak. St. Pierre was named to the C-USA First and Freshmen Team and NFCA All-Region Second.
In this her final season, the Flower Mound, Texas native leads the team in doubles (6), walks (26), stolen bases (16), and is batting .400 this season, which is second on the team. She has struck out only 17 times in 140 at bats, and her approach at the plate has never looked better.
As she recorded her 16th stolen base of the season, St. Pierre tied the school record for career stolen bases. St. Pierre also climbs the career record book in five different categories including walks, hits, runs scored, stolen bases and hit by pitches.
But for St. Pierre, softball is a world away from the world, a break from life, a place where she can release from the difficulties of life.
After college, St. Pierre looks forward to becoming a special education teacher and a high school softball coach.
"Softball has given me lifelong friends," St. Pierre said. "One of the things I'll miss most about playing is putting on the uniform and playing with the girls."
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