Exceptions from recent memory...
Aubree Munro (Florida) - .200-ish hitter, spectacular defense.
Paige Halstead (UCLA) - Often used as the "flex".
What is the most important catching skill college coaches look for?
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Exceptions from recent memory...
Aubree Munro (Florida) - .200-ish hitter, spectacular defense.
Paige Halstead (UCLA) - Often used as the "flex".
- Apr 28, 2019
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How about calling the game (if allowed) , being a leader on the field (letting teammates know how many outs and what to do with the ball), & keeping the pitcher calm & focused.
- Apr 28, 2019
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Absolutely. Catching is a position where being a good hitter is a bonus. Defense, strong arm, & game management take precedent.
- Jul 3, 2013
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I think that at the top levels of college ball, a hitter with a strong arm is the norm. Defense is a bonus, and they don't/can't/are not allowed to call the game. I hope it isn't that they can't, but it wouldn't surprise me. A vast majority of the teams my DD has played in TB have coaches calling every pitch. She has been fortunate in that she's been able to call the game for the last five summers.
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- Apr 28, 2019
- 1,423
- 83
I’d be curious to see the BA of catchers compared to BA of other position players. I suspect the catchers collective average would be lower.
I wouldn't make that bet. There are a lot of good-hitting catchers. Then again, my observations have possibly been skewed by closely following Coach Mike White's teams, where the catcher blueprint is "bombs and cannons" - Janelle Lindvall, Gwen Svekis, Mary Iakopo
Others...Savannah Jaquish (LSU), Morganne Flores (Washington), Dejah Mulipola (Arizona)
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- Jul 3, 2013
- 438
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That's probably right. OPS might be a better thing to compare.
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Very true! Most college coaches do not recruit "catchers". They recruit athletes that play multiple positions including catcher. Despite all the overblown hype about learning the catching position, the truth is any player with some athleticism and good softball IQ can be trained to be a serviceable college catcher in a couple of months. Due to injuries and transfers, college coaches want versatility and a stick over a one trick pony. To the OP's original question about the most important skill for a catcher, it is the ability to do more than just catch.
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These 'leadership' skills are nice to haves for the most part. Without the phsyical tools they are meaningless.
Most catchers are not in charge of calling the game in college - often they are part of the team that does - so coaches, pitchers, catchers, etc. That you can call a game in travel or HS maybe shows you can be a contributing part of this team.
The whole outs and where to throw thing... Eh... That is more habit than anything by college. There is a big old scoreboard that tells you the score plus if the players don't know by themselves in college, they are probably never getting it. Pitchers/Catcher relationship is cool, but that kinda depends on the pitcher/catcher and is somewhat hard to predict. And so on.
Jaquish is a perfect example of an athlete who became a good college catcher. Throughout her college career catching was not her primary position.
