Dracut Public Schools

DRACUT, Mar 26, 2010 (The Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Catherine Roy wasn't born on a softball diamond, but she sure has grown up with a bat in her hand.

Dracut High's senior shortstop comes into this year the reigning queen of the Merrimack Valley Conference Division 2. A three-time All-MVC selection, Roy won the MVC Division 2 Player of the Year award as a sophomore and a junior.

"Well, I've been around it (softball) my whole life, but I started hitting when I was 4," the 17-year-old says.

She hit .435, drove in 21 runs, and scored 22 runs last spring. Roy belted nine doubles and two triples, while showing plate discipline with 15 walks.

"She's a tough out," Dracut head coach Artie Notini says. "She reads the ball well out of the pitcher's hand all the time. Very rarely does she strike out." Roy, who plans to play at Rivier College next year and enter the nursing program, may be as close to a hitting machine as you'll find in the area. A varsity starter since her freshman year, she's been punishing opposing pitchers from day one.

She doesn't believe in any superstitions or tricks when she prepares for an at-bat. No Nomar-esque fidgeting with batting gloves. No gimmicks. She sums her approach up in a word: "Relax." "If you concentrate too hard, you won't hit," she says.

The groundwork for her high school success got laid early. Her older sister, Justine, grew up playing softball. She played outfield for Dracut during their state title runs in 1997 and 1998. After graduating in 2000, she went on to play at Assumption College.

Roy's parents, Jeannine and George, each played softball. George, who serves as an assistant for the Dracut team, still coaches travel teams. He's been involved in the sport for 33 years.

Roy often tagged along while her sister went to batting cages, and at the age of 4, she stepped into the cage and took whacks off a pitching machine. She took to swinging the bat like a fish to water.

"She's a fun kid to coach," George says. "There's no pushing her. She used to go to her sister's games and be there against the fence watching." With that sort of background, it's little wonder she stepped right into the Middies' lineup as a freshman. She started at second base, her natural position and the position she plays on travel teams, and earned All-Conference recognition immediately.

The next year she hit .446 with seven doubles, two triples, 20 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .650, all while switching over to shortstop.

While she admits to liking second base better, Roy says she definitely likes playing the middle infield because, "You get a lot of the action." Last year, she performed admirably at that spot despite struggling with elbow issues all season.

Considering she is such a talented hitter, it's surprising to find out she doesn't place any more importance on hitting than on her play in the field.

"I like the field because that's what you need to play softball," Roy says. "You need defense to win. That shows how good you really are." Her well-rounded play is part of the reason Notini calls her one of the elite players in the MVC, definitely one of the top five or six players in the conference (large division or small division).

"She just loves the game," he says. "She loves everything about it." According to Notini, Roy has had a way about her since she came in. Her knowledge of the game, maturity, and ability to rise to the occasion set her apart. He says he'd love to have nine players just like her.

Dracut has won or shared three MVC Division 2 titles in Roy's three seasons.

"To me, she's a great motivator for the team," Notini says. "The rest of the team looks to her as a leader." One of the most impressive things about Roy may be that she doesn't seem overly impressed by anything she's done. She claims that she wouldn't know her statistics if she wasn't told.

Her goals seem pretty modest. She wants to win a third Player of the Year and help Dracut make it to the state tournament.

Roy believes she still has strides to make. Asked which area she thinks she needs work, Roy says she still wants to be better with the bat.

Uh, did she forget how well she hit last year? What more does she want? "You can always do better," Roy laughs when reminded of what she did last year.

The Middies begin the season against Westford on April 7. Roy has confidence in this year's group, even though it's young team. She hopes to end her career on a high note.

"It's been a lot of fun, and we've made it far," Roy says of her high school career. "I just hope we can win states this year."