CTA's Day 2 Of Quarantine With Hempfield's Callie Sowers

Hempfield softball player Callie Sowers, pitches in a game during the 2019 WPIAL & PIAA softball season.

SOURCE: Lake Fong | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Check out Callie Sowers: Junior Callie Sowers is a pitcher on Hempfield's softball team. She was on Hempfield's 2018 and 2019 WPIAL championship softball teams and also on Hempfield's 2018 PIAA championship team. One of Callie's highlight moments in her high school career was when she pitched a no-hitter in four innings in Hempfield’s 15-0 win against North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game to lead the Spartans to a fifth-straight WPIAL title back on May 30, 2019. In the 2019 season, Sowers recorded an 18-6 record while having a 2.29 ERA and posting 165 strikeouts. Sowers was also named on CoverThreeAthletics Class 6A's softball Preseason Fab 5.

Questions & Answers:

You have been on a Hempfield softball team that has won a WPIAL title for five straight years. What has your team done to become so successful for this period of time?

Callie Sowers: "Practice and repetition has made the Hempfield Softball program so successful. Coach Kalp focuses on the details. Both past and present players all had the drive, focus, and dedication to be apart of a successful team. Success is never owned, all the players have to work hard for it."

What have you been doing during this COVID-19 crisis?

CS: "I’ve been spending a lot of time with my family and cooking dinner for them. I’m lucky enough to have my brother and dad to catch for me so I still pitch a lot, as well as hit. I’m unable to go to the gym right now, but I’ve been running around my neighborhood and doing workouts with some of the equipment I have."

How did you first get into softball? Did anyone else in your family play softball? CS: "I started playing softball when I was in second grade. Girls that live in my neighborhood joined a local recreational league so I thought I’d give it a try and I’ve been playing ever since."

What are some things that you do to become a better pitcher?

CS: "Physically, I work on perfecting new spin pitches. I throw long toss with heavy balls for speed along with rapid fire drills, ski jumpers, etc. I lift and run to become stronger. In this years offseason, I’ve been diligent on working on my core. Mentally, I keep a cool head and always stay confident."

Do you have any pre game rituals before a softball game?

CS: "On the bus, on the way to the game we are always quiet to stay focused and mentally prepare for the upcoming game. I listen to pump-up music in my AirPods. When I’m about to run out to the mound in the first inning I usually say a prayer and take a big breath."

Describe to me the softball culture at Hempfield.

CS: A winning mentality. We’re very serious when it come to practice and games. Hempfield Softball is always a process and we have to trust it. When good players graduate they’re always someone working hard that will be ready for the next season and so on. We always give it our all. Us players are very close like a family and we’re always there to back each other up.

Do you have any offers to play college softball?

CS: "I have a handful of offers and I’m undecided as of right now. It’s going to be a tough decision, and I hope to grab attention of more schools along the way."

If you had to eat dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?

CS: "If heaven counts, I would love to eat dinner with my Pappy. I miss him a lot and he was always my biggest fan."

Out of all of the hitters that you have ever pitched against, who would you say is the toughest hitter you have ever faced?

CS: "Rachel Martindale from NA [Martindale graduated from North Allegheny in 2019 and also played basketball for the Tigers. She now plays college basketball at the University of Akron.] was always a tough hitter to face last year. She’s an all around great athlete and I always had to make sure I really hit my spots when facing her."

If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do with your winnings?

CS: "My mom and I have always wanted a Jeep Wrangler, so I’d buy both of us one. I have a few rescue pets that I love very much and I would donate money to our local animal shelters."

Finally, what is something that people would be surprised to know about you?

CS: "I used to play ice hockey with my brother when I was younger."

Brentaro Yamane: bythebossandgoat@gmail.com and Twitter @BYHilton13