The Rowan University softball team has a new catcher for this upcoming season. After making the NCAA Division III College World Series last year with Korie Hague behind the plate, senior Kaitlyn Riggs is now taking over as one of the starting catchers of the team.
Her head coach, Kim Wilson, has been impressed by the early returns thus far.
“She is seeing the ball pretty well, hitting lines, and is becoming more consistent, so I’m pretty pleased with where she is going,” Wilson said. “I think she’s just gonna continue to get better.”
One of the best ways to describe Riggs is as a hard worker. Both Wilson and starting pitcher Rylee Lutz described her as having a great work ethic. This was proven even after she felt like she earned the starting job.
“I just had a conversation with coach, and she already hinted that I was going to be a starter, but I just told myself, I can’t be complacent, and I still put in extra time and extra work,” Riggs said. “And when I saw my name on the sheet, I felt so good because a lot of hard work was paying off. All the extra reps, [the] extra time I put in all season, and even when we first got here, it was finally paying off.”
Riggs not only is the starting catcher for the softball team but is also the president of the Hidden Opponent chapter of Rowan University. This group deals with student-athlete mental health awareness. She also plays for the club field hockey team.
She does all of this while being a mechanical engineering student. She likes to stay busy, but how does she manage to keep up with everything she has to do?
“It just comes down to time management,” Riggs said. “Growing up, I have always played two sports, and I’ve always played on a club softball team, and even a club field hockey team at the same time. So, I think it just kind of goes back to my younger years, and how I was able to do it. I just make sure I dedicate time to do my school work, prioritize what is most important to me, which is my classes, and make sure I’m doing well in those classes. And if I’m not, it’s always an open conversation with Coach. But thankfully, my professors are really good and understanding, so I haven’t struggled too much with classes. I just prioritize what I know is most important to me, which are these classes, softball, and being there for my teammates.”
Wilson expects all her players to be good teammates and leaders and has seen Riggs turn into a great one over time.
“I think she just grew as a person and as a leader,” Wilson said. “She’s more vocal on the field, and she’s doing a really good job demanding respect, working with, taking care of all of the things right now.”
Being a catcher makes it even more important for Riggs to be a leader on the team.
“You know, they’re kind of the coach on the field,” Wilson said. “They have to deal with pitchers, which sometimes is not a lot of fun. But, you know, I think overall, she does a really good job of working with all the kids on the team, and they respect her, and that’s a big deal.”
Riggs knows her responsibility as a catcher is to be a leader, and takes great pride in filling that role.
“I think it’s really important because you have to be able to fully communicate with your coach, what’s working, what’s not working, and being able to tell your teammates what you’re seeing, especially going out to the mound and letting them know like hey, this girl is a little bit off the plate,” Riggs said. “Let’s go inside a little bit harder or go off the plate, and let them know it’s our zone, and even communicating with everyone else what’s going on with the umpire’s zone so that when we go up to bat, we can take full advantage of it, being more patient and drawing a walk or being more aggressive when we have to be.”
While Riggs would love to have her team return to the World Series like they did last year, she is just going to try to enjoy her final season, not wishing it away.
“Honestly, I just expect myself to go out there and have fun,” Riggs said. “Just play with no regrets. And just use this one year of playing and have the most fun that I can have with it. I mean, it’s all about just playing, being with my teammates, and just knowing that pretty much every single time we’re with each other, it’s always fun, always a good time, and I can always look back on it and we always just laugh at each other and she’s always a good time so I just want to try to make as many memories as I can.”
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