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Calle Collier has been starting in her first season playing for the Southwestern University softball team.
The Columbus High graduate transferred from St. Edwards University, where she did not play her freshman season.
Though she considered other programs, she chose Southwestern because she knew head coach Alexis Lynn, who recruited her out of high school when Lynn was then the Schreiner University coach.
“It was really the environment here,” the sophomore said. “There are really good people to be around.”
She has adjusted well. When practices started in January, she received the team’s first gold medalist of the week honor, according to the softball team’s twitter page. The team votes on which player receives the honor for production at practices, she said.
“I’ve been very pleased,” Collier said.
She started at second base the first three games and had a perfect fielding percentage in seven chances. Listed as a pitcher, she has filled the void left when last year’s second baseman graduated.
“We have a lot of pitchers,” she said, adding that she also takes repetitions at shortstop because the current shortstop is a senior.
Collier was a designated player in the fourth game and hit in the top third of the batting order each game. With hits in the first three games, she batted .400 through four games. She had two hits, including a one-run double, in three at-bats against McMurry.
The tweaks to her batting approach have to do “more with pitch selection, understanding counts and what pitches to swing at,” she said. “My approach is to trust my swing and not overdo.”
She said she pitches two to three bullpen sessions a week during practices. The pitch count varies, depending on what the pitchers are trying to improve, such as specific pitches.
Her arsenal features six pitches, but she said she has been focusing on four.
More softball
Freshman Skylar Heger started at catcher for Boosier Parish Community College against Galveston. The Weimar High product singled twice in three at-bats.
Sophomore Zoe Berger has been starting in center field for Southwestern College (Kan.). The Columbus alumna singled in three at-bats against Southwestern Christian.
William Woods University sophomore pitcher Sarah Randermann lost her first two starts. The right-hander out of Columbus High had a 9.55 earned run average.
Send updates about area athletes to Barbara Boxleitner at [email protected].
