Amber Freeman's graduation left a huge hole in the catching position. Freeman played a majority of the time behind the plate for the Sun Devils, where she was the starting catcher all four years (2012-15).
Freeman was also the Sun Devils' greatest offensive contributor last year. She had a stand-out .436 batting average to go along with 15 home runs (tied with Bethany Kemp for most on the team) and 51 RBIs (second-most). Her slugging percentage was .773.
Not only did Freeman's graduation leave some big shoes to fill on offense, she also left a big spot on defense to fill.
ASU will be replacing her with not one catcher, but two. Senior catcher Katee Aguirre and junior catcher Sashel Palacios will be splitting the duties behind the plate.
“Freeman would give us her knowledge on what she learned throughout the years, but when it came to playing time, it was kind of just observe and learn," Palacios said.
Last season, Palacios had a batting average of .323 and an on-base percentage of .459. In 124 at bats, she only struck out 11 times and had 20 RBIs.
Despite being only a sophomore, Palacios left a huge mark on the team’s offense. As a junior this year, she will be looking to increase those numbers on not only for offense but for defense as well.
She appears to have the primary catching spot. She appeared in 48 games last season for the Sun Devils and finished with a .993 fielding percentage.
She earned Pac-12 All Defensive honors as well as being named a part of the NFCA All-West Region Team.
“As a catcher, you have to wear a lot of hats,” Palacios said. “You have to help out the pitcher when they’re getting down, and you also have to help out the defensive when deciding what plays to make.”
Aguirre is hoping to find more playing time this year. Last season, she appeared in 19 games, starting nine of them at catcher.
She notes that communication on the field is important, particularly as a catcher.
“As a catcher, you have to know everyone strengths and weaknesses,” she said.
Defensively, she didn't have many opportunities to prove herself behind the plate. Offensively, she had 40 at-bats, striking out only four times and putting some numbers on the board. In the 2015 Kajikawa Classic, she had four hits. Three were home runs.
With the 2016 Kajikawa Classic only four days away, these girls are looking forward to making a statement this season.
“We have our backs to the wall, and a lot of people aren’t believing in us,” said Palacios, "and I think that’s something that we’ve all tried to buy into — let’s shock the world.”
Related Links:
ASU softball position preview: Middle infielders
ASU softball attempting to get over loss of coach and graduates
Reach the reporter at lmbrunet@asu.edu or follow @Leah_brunette on Twitter.
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