Year after year, Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins has made a habit of swapping players in and out of the starting lineup. But there is one position that has always been set.
Since her freshman year, Lauren Sweet has been the Wolverines’ go-to catcher. Sweet, now a senior, is just seven games shy of her 200th start.
When she’s not behind the plate, Sweet is one of the team’s strongest power hitters. When she is behind the plate, she’s the solid, reliable catcher that Michigan needs. Since 2012, the starting lineup has seen pitchers, infielders and outfielders come and go, but at catcher, it has always been Sweet.
A vocal leader both on and off the field, it didn’t take long for Sweet to earn Hutchins’ approval. In 2012, in just her second career game, Sweet belted a home run against then-No. 22 LSU. Along with her deadly arm, her bat has secured her starting spot.
And this season has shown why she’s maintained it. Through 25 games this season, Sweet has stacked up six home runs, 27 RBI, a .333 batting average and a .682 slugging percentage.
On defense, Sweet has caught nearly half of opponents trying to steal bases, a statistic that has been on the rise since her freshman season. The numbers speak for themselves, but her coach and teammates all attested to the fact that some of Sweet’s greatest contributions come from her experience.
“She’s caught four years behind the plate, so her experience is instinctive,” Hutchins said. “She has a gun for an arm with such a quick release, but she’s also a calming force for the pitchers and the coaches. She keeps things under control; never gets too high, never too low. Overall, she’s a pretty even-keel kid.”
Sweet has embraced this role, especially in keeping a good relationship and understanding with pitchers. Whenever one of the pitchers is struggling in the circle, Sweet will get up to talk to her. But not all the conversations are serious.
“A lot of the times it’s just to give them time to relax,” Sweet said. “Sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s just to make them laugh. As a pitcher, you are going and going, and say you just walked somebody, you don’t have a second to forget about that one and move on. In those situations, I go out there and tell them to breathe and take a second.”
Added sophomore pitcher Megan Betsa: “Sweet always knows the perfect thing to say. She knows when you need to be talked to nicely and she knows when you need to be picked up. That’s a really good quality to have as a catcher.”
The relationship she has with the pitching staff grows stronger each year. For senior lefthander Haylie Wagner, the connection began before coming to Michigan.
“I’ve known her even longer than college and she’s just improved so much,” Wagner said. “Before, she was always very calm, not caught up and just had fun with it. Now, she still is having fun, but I think she’s even more determined on getting better and better. She’s a lot more vocal and able to fix things on the spot. Throughout the years, she’s really learned to trust herself and trust the whole team.”
Sweet knows the starting spot belongs to her, but she’s still not content. One day a week, she arrives late to practice due to class, so she stays an hour afterwards to hit. While some go-to starters might be content with their game, Sweet is putting in the extra work.