Second-year softball player shows expertise on the field
By Barron Demons
Caitlyn Yockey is in her last season with the Pirates, and she is focused on making her final season one to remember. Yockey is a player that would be considered an all around athlete.
In highschool, Yockey received a Defensive MVP award, made the All-Area team and was lettered in basketball. As a player for Head Coach Lyndsey Angus’s softball team, she has started almost every game for the Pirates.
Yockey spent most of her time playing third base for the Pirates this season, but has the ability to play any position on the field.
“I just go out there knowing that I can do it, but defense is definitely the best part about my game,” Yockey said. “I have a lot of fun playing defense, and I really don’t think much when I’m playing.”
Learning a new position can take time to get accustomed to.
Yockey played left field last season but has become comfortable playing third base.
“I think the question would be ‘was it hard to transition from outfield to infield?’ But no, it’s all the same. You have a different way of throwing the ball, but it’s all just throw and catch.”
Being one of the better defensive players on the team, Yockey gave credit to coach Angus.
“She’s not really a yeller, but she definitely makes us want to do our best.”
Hard work does pay off, and Yockey has realized that, as she has made her commitment to play softball at Warner University.
Warner University played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series last season and looks to make another run this year.
Yockey has decided to join a team that knows how to get to the big stage, and she is excited to play for Head Coach Katie Clemente and the Warner Royals.
Warner is located in Lake Wales, Florida, which is right outside of her hometown of Orlando, and more importantly, in between where her parents are located.
“I wanted a school where I could go home on the weekend and be close to my family. My mom lives in Tampa and my dad lives in Orlando, so I could go visit them frequently.” Her commitment to Warner not only involved sports, but how the University is structured academically.
“I like when the professor knows your name and when the professor knows when you’re not there, and once I researched the school and went on my visit, I was definitely sold.” She will become a member of the Royal softball team after her spring semester at PSC and will make her official debut in the fall.
Yockey has also started planning her career after softball as well.
“I want to become an occupational therapist. That’s my goal, but if all else fails, I have a big passion for coaching, so I really want to be a coach.”
She is one of the many players who can be heard in the dugout and on the field cheering her teammates on.
Two home games, four in total, remain for Yockey as a Pensacola State Pirate, and she is determined to give everything she has, as her softball career at PSC comes to a close.