For the first time in her high school career, Katherine Montpellier is taking the pitch-calling reins from behind the plate.
Mercer Island High School fastpitch softball head coach Amanda Mattocks has given her junior catcher the go-ahead this season to make the final decision about what pitches her hurlers will fire toward batters.
“It’s kind of nerve-racking, but it’s pretty exciting, too, ‘cause I get to work more with my pitcher as well,” said Montpellier, whose main pitchers are sophomore Sienna Klopp and junior Annabel Little.
Montpellier, whose team was 2-3 overall at press time, took the initiative to begin calling pitches one game and has continued along that path.
“(Mattocks) didn’t warn me. I went into the game and I looked over and she wasn’t there and I was like, ‘I guess I’m going to call,’ and I just kept calling ever since,” said the third-year varsity starting catcher, who added that Mattocks coaches her on what steps to take on the pitch-selection front from the top to bottom of the lineups.
During her time with the Islanders, Montpellier said the players are having fun on the diamond, trying their best each time out and focusing on communicating with each other.
The Seattle Spice Fastpitch 18U player began breaking in her softball glove in second grade and grabbed onto the catcher’s role about a year later.
“It was because all of my friends who caught, they ended up getting knee problems,” she said. “Now I love it, ‘cause it means I get to be in every play and I’m never bored out there. There’s always something to do.”
When asked how her knees are holding up nowadays, Montpellier laughed and said she’s hoping for them to make it through her senior year.
The Reporter asked Montpellier a series of questions to a get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life:
If you could go to dinner with one person, who would that be?
Trevor Noah. He’s my favorite comedian. I just love his comedy and the things he’s done, and so I think to have a conversation with him would be so fun, ‘cause I just love his humor.
What’s a good after-game meal?
I love going to Ezell’s for their chicken; the spicy chicken there is so good.
What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re off the field?
I am pretty into my studies right now, I really want to get into a good college and I’m taking a bunch of AP classes. When I’m not doing all the studying and homework, I’m probably watching a show with my friends or we like to play board games and have a lot of game nights and cook dinners together.
Speaking of shows, what would be a binge-worthy TV series that you’d recommend?
I just finished “Game of Thrones” in the last year, which was really cool to finish. I don’t know if I loved the ending. I also love “Friends,” which I watched with my little sister and we’ve seen it about three times, probably more.
What’s a skill that you’d like to learn?
I’ve started embroidering over the past few years and I haven’t done much with it, but I’d like to maybe get better at that, or pick up a similar skill like crochet.
If you’re having a tough day at school, how do you break out of that?
Usually, that’s where lunch comes in. I kind of look forward to lunch and getting that break and being able to talk to friends. It’s always easier during a hard school day if you could talk to people around you and just talk about how hard a class is. It’s nice.
