Cheney’s Cami Hatch leads quietly on diamond

Many managers and coaches look at their catchers as the field general of the infield.

They’re usually short, squatty, dirty and loud.

That’s where Cheney High School’s Cami Hatch is different.

“She leads by example,” said Blackhawks softball coach Gary Blake. “She’s a pretty quiet kid.

“Some of your catchers are pretty aggressive people, but I would say for her it’s lead by example and don’t make a lot of noise.

“A lot of catchers I’ve had in the past, they were really take charge, very verbal sorts of people. She’s just got a different style.”

If there is one thing that says “catcher” about Hatch, it’s her thirst for activity around the dish.

“I like being in the action,” said the senior. “I like having every play, and I like being up and down and moving around a lot.

“In the outfield, it’s a lot of standing. I can do it, but I prefer catching. I prefer being in the action, and plays at the plate are fun.”

“She does like those plays that are close at the plate where she just receives the ball and has to block the plate to keep the runner from scoring,” said Blake. “That’s a trait that’s probably true of most catchers.

“She’s not as physically large as some of the catchers, so in that way she is aggressive.”

Looking for and being in that much action around the plate can have its consequences, though.

“I bruise really easily, so wearing skirts in the spring is just not an option for me,” Hatch said with a laugh “I have bruises all over my legs all the time. I’m just sore.

“I’ve got bruises on my arms. You always know when it’s softball season.”

Hatch is getting a bit of late start to softball season this year, as she is helping to lead the Blackhawks basketball team to the state tournament this week. Her sister Jenna, who is a sophomore, will join her in the infield this spring.

For now, Jenna is helping Cami on the hardwood.

“In basketball when we play one on one, it’s probably the most competitive thing you’ll watch in your entire life,” said Hatch. “We’re very competitive with each other just because we were kind of raised like that.

“I think its kind of fun. Our varsity and JV scrimmage against each other, and she played JV. We kind of play the same position, so we guard each other in practice.

“A lot of people make jokes and stuff, and we’re real competitive with each other, so it’s funny to watch.”

One thing Hatch didn’t find funny early in her softball career was her hitting. Part of the problem may have been the competition in the Greater Spokane League, from which the Blackhawks will move to the Great Northern League.

“My sophomore year, I was terrible, and last year I got a lot better,” said Hatch. “It was just a matter of hitting the ball.

“In the GSL, the pitchers were just amazing. Every pitcher we were up against was going somewhere to college. It was just hard to make contact for me.”

“She has just really got a lot more compact swing, better timing, and her fundamentals have just improved,” said Blake. “We worked with her as a freshman a lot on her hitting, and by the time she came back as a sophomore, it had improved drastically and has continued to improve.”

With the success the Blackhawks have enjoyed in basketball this winter, Hatch would love to see the same winning feeling carry over to softball this spring.

“I want to go to playoffs,” said Hatch. “I just want our team to be successful just because we haven’t had that much success being in the GSL.

“I want to go into this season with an aggressive attitude and do well and have fun.”