WXXV Student Athlete of the Week: Hancock Softball’s Teegan DeWitt
This week’s Student Athlete of the Week is Hancock softball sophomore Teegan DeWitt and she can spin the ball just as well as she can hit it.
Hancock’s Teegan DeWitt has played softball ever since she could pick up a bat and all that time spent on the diamond is really starting to pay off.
Dewitt plays first base for the Lady Hawks, but spends most of her time in the circle controlling the pace of the game as a second-year varsity starter. “I guess I’ve just kind of grown into it. At first, I was like oh gosh I don’t know if I can handle this type of pressure, but playing school ball and then last year kind of set a good foundation for me and I was like okay this is what I’m expected to do. I can do this.”
DeWitt is the true definition of a two-way star, leading the Lady Hawks both at the plate and in the circle. Not only does she have a .453 batting average, she also paces the team in hits, RBI, doubles, and triples.
Then as the ace of the staff, the sophomore sensation has a microscopic 1.13 ERA to go along with 177 strikeouts across 105 innings, all adding up to a record of 16-3. “It just means so much because my grandpa, he always wanted me to be, he always said I was going to be famous, but I just feel like this whole team has been a part of it. The news just kind of self-centers around me, but I really have to have trust in my team. Everyone is just a big part of it whether it’s just the coach or the crowd.”
The Lady Hawks have recently drawn a crowd because they are the Region 8 Class 6A champions and are currently focused on the third round of playoffs.
DeWitt thinks one of the big reasons for a successful season thus far is because of their new head coach, Josef Rankin. “You don’t how it’s going to be with a new coach. You’re scared, you’re worried, you don’t know how the new season is going to go, but this year has been great and he has really made this team closer than we’ve ever been before.”
But of course, if you ask the new skipper, he gives all the credit right back to the girls. “Just this particular group, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a group that has bought in as much as they have. Even from the first day of workouts…honestly the first meeting, they were very open and really wanted to do whatever they can to be successful so all that credit has to go to them.”
DeWitt says the team is the reason she loves the sport as much as she does. “I feel like the team is just a huge thing because you can love a sport and you’ll want to push for it, but the team and the coaches make the team a team, and it’s just something you can build and is really a part of the entire game.”
The Lady Hawks are her primary focus, but when the school bell rings, she’s not done on the dirt. DeWitt spends the entire off-season playing summer ball, where she’s been introduced to several different opportunities. “Summer ball is very crazy because you travel a lot more. Last year I traveled to Colorado, California, Alabama, like everywhere I travel to. I mean it’s good because you get to experience so many different new teams. I’ve played with a South Florida team and they’re awesome. They’re so much fun to play with, especially having different coaches and different cultures especially on the team. It’s so exciting to be around.”
While traveling to different fields and making new connections, DeWitt hopes to reach her dreams of playing softball at the collegiate level. “I definitely want to play. I’m not sure where I want to go or if I want to go D-1 first or a juco first, but I just hope that I can enjoy the coaches and the team and just hope that everything goes well.”
The Lady Hawks will host Brandon at home Thursday to begin the third round of playoffs.
