Sophomore outfielder Katie St. Pierre leads the American Athletic Conference in batting average. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
UH is filled with star athletes, but sophomore outfielder Katie St. Pierre has taken her game to the next level. St. Pierre, who started off strong last season, has turned that momentum into a career year.
St. Pierre has had the right touch when up at the plate, hitting with a team-leading average of .391, which is third in the American Athletic Conference. Along with her strong batting average, she is third in the league in on-base percentage, earning her spot at .489.
“She causes the defense to make adjustments and causes a lot of havoc for the other team,” said head coach Kyla Holas. “If you go back and look at our run production, a lot of what we’ve done has started with her.”
Her strong play is the product of a lot of offseason work put in by St. Pierre and her teammates. Her efforts helped the Cougars finish the season 32-21 and fourth in the American standings. UH dropped a 5-1 decision to Rutgers on Thursday at the AAC tournament, which is being held at Cougar Softball Field.
“During the offseason, we would focus on things day to day,” St. Pierre said. “We would go step by step, and if we mastered one, we moved on to the next. It was a lot of hard work by everybody.”
St. Pierre has not only hit with authority, she has proved herself as a durable player, starting every game this year. Last year, as a freshman, she earned the starting position at the beginning of the season and has held it since.
Sophomore outfielder Katie St. Pierre leads the American Athletic Conference in batting average. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
Holas, who noticed St. Pierre’s talent immediately, has watched her grow as a player and person, on and off the field.
“Katie’s one of those kids who is really quiet but really funny,” Holas said. “She’s a leader for us on the field and is definitely one of everybody’s favorite teammates.
St. Pierre, who can be tough on herself at times, uses the support of her teammates to help push herself through the long season. Even during practice, the team is yelling motivating each other.
“It’s so great to work with Katie,” junior outfielder Tiffani McKnight said. “We look at every practice as a game, so the intensity is always high, and she helps to keep us focused.”
“When I get down on myself, they just pick me back up,” St. Pierre said. “We all want the ring at the end of the season, and we each do our part.”
