By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SILVERTON, Ore.– Pitching has been a part of who McKenzee Petersen has been since she was nine years old when she first entered the pitcher’s circle. It’s been a craft that she’s honed in and developed over the years, helping the Silverton softball team to a 5A State Semi-Final appearance this past spring as a junior.
That Semi-Final run was good momentum for girls like Petersen and the other retuners who return this Spring for a Foxes Softball squad that had a solid amount of seniors and sophomores out for the first day of practice Monday afternoon.
“Ending on such a great note last year, it’s kind of momentum for us to end it on a good note this year,” Petersen said.
Petersen calls pitching a way for her to focus and lock in during games, and it paid off in her success. It is something that she is hoping to share that mindset with her teammates one last time before she graduates and heads to college softball.
“Just doing the same thing over and over again, just muscle memory for me, I’ve been doing it for so long. I definitely won’t say I’m OCD, but I like to have things a certain way. I’m in my own world out there, so it’s easy for me to focus in because I’m just so used to it,” said Petersen, a Willamette University-signee. “Last year has definitely helped me a lot, especially since I learned so much the last three years. I’m used to being out here and being in that mindset of focusing in and stuff, I want to help my team with that and be there for them throughout the season.”
Over the Summer, Petersen had put in work over the Summer in the travel softball circuit where she got to travel around the country, facing different kinds of hitters as a pitcher and different kinds of pitchers whenever she had a chance to step into the batter’s box.
“I had some really good experiences with traveling around, going to Indiana and stuff, and seeing some good competition. That really helped me…in the fall too, it was a really good experience too to see,” said Petersen.
Silverton will open the season, March 17, with a jamboree up at Wilsonville before their regular season opener on March 20 at home against West Linn going into their Spring Break trip to Medford for four games.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
