Sashel Palacios often lurks in the background.
When her teammates have the microphone, she is there. Not to assist them, but there she is, videobombing the heck out of them.
In less that two months, she’s become the master of the art.
Bro you're kidding!!! Shout out to my girl @seashel_13 who the funniest person I know. Love you! pic.twitter.com/UhAqmOi5fl
— Amber Freeman (@A_Freeman9) March 22, 2015
Sashel Palacios photobombing coach Craig Nicholson during his interview w/ Pac-12 network. #ButThatsNoneOfMyBusiness pic.twitter.com/pnQaamMOlD
— Ryan Clarke (@RClarkeASU) March 28, 2015
This is up there with some of our better live shot bombs. Well played, @ASUSoftball. pic.twitter.com/UIuBCAAay2
— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) April 25, 2015
The Pac-12 Networks are the main target for her antics. The network interviews a team’s head coach between innings and talks to players in postgame interviews, which are both televised for viewers at home, providing the perfect opportunity for one to intrude.
The videobombing began during a series in Washington in mid-March. Senior first baseman Bethany Kemp hit her third grand slam of the season and it was her turn at the microphone. The ASU team walked by behind Kemp, but it was Palacios' face behind the Pac-12 logo that everyone remembers from the video. She took onto that role from there.
"I like to have fun, keep them laughing," Palacios said. "I think that’s what keeps the game fun, enjoyable. I don’t mind them laughing at me and me being the pit of all the jokes."
She considers herself one of the jokesters on the team, but it's not the only thing she does to keep things loose, noting dancing and cracking jokes. However, the videobombs are what she's known for, given their public nature.
Her best one was probably May 1 when she stood next to freshman pitcher Breanna Macha midway through an interview, flexed her muscles (with a ball inside to make them appear bigger). She then proceeded to kiss her muscles, lift a bat as if it were a weight, and then proceeded to let Macha carry on.
"It’s all about the unique," Palacios said. "I actually thought of the one in Stanford while I was playing, while I was catching. Just being unique and going through with it because a couple of them, they’re kind of crazy, so I just go through with it."
The tables were flipped when Palacios was the one being interviewed on Saturday after going 4-for-4 in ASU's 16-6 romp over Stanford.
She dressed like ASU coach Craig Nicholson by borrowing ASU director of operations Aaron Wilson's jacket, hat and glasses, while Nicholson took the role of Palacios interrupted the interview by pouring powder on her.
It helps Palacios' videobombing case, too, that she's productive on the field. It would be one thing if she was the last person off the bench, but the sophomore catcher is hitting .349 in 2015, the third-best mark among starters on the team. She also has the support of Nicholson, as seen above.
"I have a pretty good idea of when and when not do it," Palacios said. "For the most part whatever I do the photobombs, he (Nicholson) enjoys it as well. I think all of us get a kick out of it."
Reach the reporter at jmjanss1@asu.edu or follow @jjanssen11 on Twitter
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