By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Marykate DeLuca (San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) is a sophomore catcher on the Willamette University softball team. Although she has only played one season at Willamette so far, she is already a leader for the Bearcats.
It's not to surprising find out from Willamette Head Softball Coach Paige Hall that a catcher is a leader on the team. After all, catchers are working with the pitchers on every play, and they often set up the defense with runners on base. It is a bit unusual, however, for a sophomore to take on a leadership role.
"Marykate was our starting catcher last season as a freshman and stepped up in a big way," Hall said. "She had great command of our pitchers and didn't let her age get in the way of her leading this team. As a catcher, you have the advantage of seeing the entire field."
"My priority is to be a reliable and clear communicator with my teammates," DeLuca said. "My voice is my clearest form of leadership. As a catcher on the field, my job is to communicate our next plays and what our plan is to act as a team. I take the extra steps to be clear and precise with my words so that our goals and actions are in unison between all nine players on the field.
"The majority of the time my leadership comes from my extremely deep voice behind the plate trying to be louder than the neighboring train and loud street behind us," DeLuca explained. "Equally as important, my leadership can be as simple as a timeout or a locker room chat discussing how we can mentally and physically better ourselves both as individuals and together as a team for our next play or outing on the field.
The coaching staff soon noticed DLuca's strong ability to communicate loudly and clearly. In softball, it's a great skill for a leader to possess.
"Marykate is a very vocal leader," Hall confirmed. "She has the ability to use her voice in situations where the team needs direction on defense. She has confidence in what she says and a lot of knowledge for the game"
"Being a leader on this team means that I will always put our team first," DeLuca said. "I will always hold myself accountable, as well as encourage my teammates to contribute everything they can. To act as a leader means that I'm giving the time and effort to go beyond our practices to push our entire team toward our common goals and be the best we can all be."
DeLuca has made strides as a player and improved in significant ways since arriving as a first-year member of the team in 2019-20. She quickly made an impact and was one of just two players who started all 13 games for the Bearcats before COVID-19 forced Willamette to cancel the remainder of the season.
"Since arriving at Willamette I have become a stronger player overall," DeLuca commented. "I have physically and mentally bettered my game. My teammates offer such great motivation on and off the field and are always pushing me to give all I can. This motivation has contributed to every aspect of the game from extra swings, lifting on off days, and pushing through challenging conditioning sessions.
"More than anything, Willamette has brought me out of my shell as a player," DeLuca added. "I've developed a more confident mindset when approaching the field. Coach Hall and Coach Ashlyn Englehorn have both made it a priority that we play with no hesitation and no regrets. This mentality to be aggressive at the plate and to dominate on the field has encouraged me to be a more vocal leader and a more confident decision-maker."
In addition to DeLuca being a vocal leader, she also has several other key strengths. According to Hall, DeLuca has shown a strong arm, command behind the plate, and the ability to be a consistent hitter. Those skills make for a pretty complete softball player.
It's important that DeLuca be able to interact in positive ways with the pitching staff. She puts in plenty of time with each pitcher.
"Our pitchers are some of my best friends on campus," DeLuca noted. "We have worked so hard outside of practice to develop a stronger pitching staff despite injuries and other surprises throughout the season. Each of our pitchers offers a special individuality to pitching and a special relationship on the field. The unique qualities each pitcher has makes being a catcher such a fun and unpredictable job for our team. I'm sure there will never be a dull time in the bullpen. They really do push for any extra opportunity to better themselves ... the extra Friday night live-pitching to anyone who will show up and the Tuesday between-classes curveball work really shows how much they care about doing their job for our team. It always inspires us to work harder for them."
Off the field, DeLuca stays busy as a resident assistant. She's also a member of the Women of WU Athletics group.
"As an RA on campus, I have valued the opportunity to get to know a new crowd and develop new relationships despite the difficulties we face with COVID," DeLuca said. "I have 36 wonderful residents who I would have never met had I not taken this position. The softball team is very tight-knit, and while I love our energy and bond, I've been able to foster a new community with people who have a variety of interests, skills, and lifestyles.
"The Women of WU Athletics meet weekly to discuss what it means to be a woman in athletics," DeLuca commented. "This group has such great goals in wanting to promote a healthy lifestyle and overcome some of the difficulties women athletes face. We have discussed what struggles we have, as well as recipes and nutrition that will benefit student-athletes on a very busy schedule."
During the recent summer months, DeLuca worked with the San Diego Padres organization.
"I had the opportunity as a coach at their youth summer camps," DeLuca said. "The chance to work as a baseball and softball coach with kids ages five to 12 years old was such a refreshing experience. After having our season canceled and having to isolate at home for the spring semester, I missed the game so much. Nothing is more rewarding than sharing those game skills and experiences with young kids.
"I worked with each group for a week, but the growth and skill development in that time was astonishing," DeLuca added. "I was able to participate in plenty of home run derbies and pickle games that reminded me how much I missed the atmosphere softball and baseball can provide. Throughout the camps, we followed all social distancing guidelines and were still able to play and share what we missed most over the quarantine. The kids were always so excited to wear their own Padres jersey and hat and play like a major leaguer in lots of games and competitions."
