For the week of March 31 through April 6, fourth-year catcher Megan Patterson was named WIAC Softball Athlete of the Week for her performance during the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational.
At the invitational, which spanned four games across April 5-6, Patterson hit for a .545 batting average across 11 at bats, hitting a home run while driving in four runs across the weekend.
For Patterson, she didn’t know she won the award until she received a text from her teammate, fourth-year Kenna Strunsee.
“I got a text from (Strunsee) and she’s pretty much on top of when the award gets released,” Patterson said. “When it gets released and finds it’s one of the girls on the team, she’s usually the first to congratulate us.”
This season, Patterson is putting up a career-high .359 batting average with two home runs and 12 runs batted through the team’s first 26 games. She credits adjustments that she’s made in the off-season with her success at the plate.
“One big thing that I’ve changed during the off-season is my stance at the plate,” Patterson said. “I’ve also changed my mindset up there and I’m not looking to do anything crazy and just stick to my process up there.”
While her offense numbers at the plate have been notable, something else that has been noticeable in Patterson’s game is her defensive play. At the invitational, she posted a perfect fielding percentage and has a .965 fielding percentage.
Playing catcher is a complex position as you have to manage calling the game from behind the plate for the pitching staff along with trying to help the team on offense.
Patterson attests trying to find this balance by preparing herself mentally for each game on both sides of the ball and each pitcher on the team she has to catch for.
“It’s my 15th year as a catcher, so a lot of it is just second nature, which is nice,” Patterson said. “But going in, I need to make sure I have that connection with my pitchers, especially with those who are starting the game and making sure I’m communicating with them.”
The Blugold softball team this season is off to a 19-7 start coming off their conference opener against UW-Stevens Point this past Saturday.
Patterson said she thinks if the team sticks to their processes that they’ve implemented early in the season, the team will replicate their early success going into the conference schedule.
“I think that sticking with our processes and doing what we’ve been doing is going to help us especially in the WIAC,” Patterson said. “The WIAC across all sports is an incredibly competitive conference and games can go either way when teams face each other, so we just need to trust our preparation going into games.”
As a fourth-year leader on the team, Patterson’s message to younger players on the team is to enjoy their time here and to find balance with softball and school.
“One thing that I like to tell younger players is to enjoy it while you’re here and remember that it’s not all about softball,” Patterson said. “You’ll build strong experiences in the classroom and with your teammates on and off the field and savor it every chance you get.”
Patterson and the Blugolds will have two doubleheaders this week as they take on UW-La Crosse on Wednesday, April 16 at Bollinger Fields and UW-Whitewater on Saturday, April 19.
Mikalofsky can be reached at mikaloee7353@uwec.edu.
