Plattsburgh State seniors Jennifer Groat and Kaitlyn Preiss picked up a new position in the off season. After the senior pitchers graduated, someone had to step up and help pitch this season and they decided they would step up to the challenge.
Groat has not pitched on any level before this season. She knew what her team needed for this season, so she stepped up for her team.
She said that adding another position meant that she would have to add another thing to her practice schedule which was testing for Groat.
Groat said, “You gotta do what the team needs you to do.”
Preiss was excited to step on the mound. She had joked with the previous head coach, Stephanie Conroy, about wanting to pitch during last year. It was a running joke for a while with her coach and teammates until it came true this year.
When asked if she had ever pitched before she said, “Well, I haven’t pitched since little league so that was challenging for me personally.”
The two new pitchers knew they would be pitching last fall, however, they began training during their winter season this year.
“Jennifer and Katie took it upon themselves to learn how to pitch,” coach John Flynn commented. “I mean those are the seniors I have. They are great girls and they said, ‘We are going to learn how to pitch.’”
Flynn talked very highly of all four of his seniors, claiming that they were all extremely versatile players that they will miss next year.
