Council Rock North seniors Morgan Lewis and Caytlin Friis were recognized for making commitments to play softball at the collegiate level.
Morgan Lewis – Susquehanna University (Softball)Major: International Studies with a focus on comparative cultures and developing nations and a double minor in public health and gender studies.
Final list of colleges: Susquehanna, DeSales, La Salle, Dickinson
Reasons for choosing Susquehanna: “The college selection process was not very difficult. The first time I walked on the Susquehanna campus, I got a feeling that this was going to be the place for me. I feel that Susquehanna has a balanced mix of the academic, the athletic and the social aspects of all the universities I looked at. Both Coach Kroupa and Coach Botkins welcomed me into the university and made sure that I was comfortable there. I know that it is a perfect fit.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate softball? “My desire to play softball started when I was six years old and I saw my first high school softball game – Hamilton West vs. Steinert (a classic top New Jersey rivalry at the time). It was then that I knew I wanted to give softball a try. I enrolled in the Elite Fastpitch Academy at the age of eight, and I began to progress up the ranks. It did not take long for me to decide I wanted to pitch at top levels of the game. Mr. Besser, my pitching coach, has always instilled in me that with a good work ethic, one will meet success. Without that, I would have never been able to do what I am about to do in my next four years. I spent my summers playing travel softball up and down the east coast, and eventually, I began to play college showcases. The entire summer season going into this year was to show off myself to as many coaches as I could in the hopes of being recruited.
“The reality that it might happen hit me when I received my first set of e-mails and phone calls from college coaches. I actually still have the first couple of e-mails and saved the voicemails for some reason. It never seemed like a reality until I knew that some universities wanted me to pitch for them. Also, when I saw coaches at the fields watching me in their lawn chairs, the entire situation became a reality. I have seen a lot of beach chairs without the benefit of the sand!”
Coach Hollie Woodard says: “Morgan has been a three-year starter for the program. This year she was selected as our team captain, and she has really evolved into a fantastic leader. She’s our pitcher, but she’s also our number four hitter, and being the pitcher and the number four hitter, there’s a tremendous amount of pressure on her. She does a fantastic job for us. Without pitching, you don’t have a team.
“Morgan has a phenomenal work ethic, so she’s a very natural fit as a captain and as a leader because she’s doing it on the field and she’s making it happen. She’s scoring runs, she’s striking girls out, she’s shutting girls down at the plate, and more importantly, she’s the person who makes everyone feel as though they belong on the team. That’s a unique combination because often the big gun on the team is unapproachable, but she actually wants people to be her friend. She’ll say, ‘Let’s have a party at my house.’ ‘I’ll get the shirts, I’ll get the ribbons.’ It’s really fun to have her that way as a captain.
“Moving the mound back three feet this year has just made her a powerhouse. She’s shutting people down and hitting her spots in a way she didn’t do it at all last year. We have two more pitches than we had last year because of the three more feet.”
Caytlin Friis - Binghamton University (Softball)
Major: Human Development
Final list of colleges: Binghamton University, University of Central Florida, Bloomsburg, Southern Connecticut University
Reasons for choosing Binghamton: “I love the atmosphere of the campus, the academic opportunities and the softball program. When I went on my visit, I was thrilled to see how hard the team works and how well the girls got along.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate softball? “I have played softball since I was young, and I just always knew I wanted to play at the collegiate level. I realized when coaches started to contact me that I would definitely play in college.”
Coach Hollie Woodard says: “Caytlin plays shortstop for us, and she’s probably one of the least recognized players in the area. She’s been a four-year starter and an anchor for us defensively. Her fielding percentage is 96 percent – and that’s over four years. She’s outstanding. She hits .350 to .380, but she’s not the showy shortstop. She’s just unbelievably smooth. She takes balls from the hole, she’ll field balls up the middle – she’ll dive, she’ll lay herself out. Her throw is outstanding. I can’t even recall a throwing error. She turns double plays with ease. She’s an outstanding shortstop, and Caytlin is physically our best athlete.
“The other thing about Caytlin is she’s a fantastic hitter. She’s our leadoff hitter, and she can slap and do small ball. She can hit for power, or she can bunt for a base hit. She’s super fast, and last year she led our team in steals. She’s a gamer – she never missed a practice in four years, and she’s never been late for a practice. She is absolute consistency at its finest.
“From a leadership standpoint, she’s outstanding. She’s the person everyone wants to stand near and talk to and get approval from. She’s a captain. It’s very easy for people to like her right away because she works so hard at practice, and she brings it every single day. There’s also this very, very fun side of her. She has this serious face, and in a split second, she will flash this brilliant smile that will make you feel like you’re the funniest person in the entire world. She’s very well liked by the girls. I have two very, very outstanding leaders.”
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