Katelyn Massa looking to prove doubters wrong in 2018

In 2017, catcher Katelyn Massa broke onto the scene as a force to be reckoned with behind the plate for Southern for the remainder of her career.

Massa, who was a freshman last year, started the season as the backup catcher and didn't appear in her first game until the third weekend of the season. She didn't make her first start behind the plate until nearly a month into the season when she started against Western Illinois at home.

Despite the late start, she put together a season worthy of an All-MVC selection. She hit .297 with 5 home runs and 11 baserunners caught stealing. The Grover, Missouri native had two game winning doubles, the first against Bradley and the second in an important late season game against Evansville. Massa also excelled in the classroom, earning a spot on the MVC's Honor Roll for having a GPA above 3.5 through her first two semesters.

Massa's accomplishments from last season are admirable, but they're even more respectable when you have an understanding of what the young Saluki went through just to become a college softball player and student.

Out of high school, Massa was not a highly touted prospect. Massa was written off by college coaches because she was overweight and lacked effort in the classroom. Saluki coaches Kerri Blaylock and Jen Sewell saw potential in Massa though. Southern offered Massa a spot on the team and she jumped at the opportunity.

Her first semester of college was a big adjustment. For the Saluki softball team, academic success is equally if not more important than on-field success; the team's GPA has ranked in the top-35 in the nation for 13-straight seasons. In order to live up to the expectations of her teammates and coaches, Massa had to learn how to be a success in the classroom.

"In high school I didn't really apply myself. I didn't care about grades. Then, I got here and Kerri told me that we're all about our grades on the softball team," Massa said. "That made me start applying myself and actually doing the assignments. Once I started doing that, I got on track. I have so much support here. My mom said I've matured so much from the start of my first semester to the end of my freshman year. Everyone here has helped me get my life on track."

As Massa continued to work in the classroom, academics came easier and easier to the Eureka High School graduate. She taught herself study skills and time management skills that helped her push on and earn better grades.

Once she figured out class, she turned her attention to her health. Massa looks back on conditioning in the early days of her career and remembers how hard it was to run with her teammates. She said she's surprised that she was even able to get around before she lost weight.

"I lost around 20 pounds in the fall, but during winter break I put a lot back on because I wasn't doing anything," she said. "Once the spring hit, I just thought okay, this is the time to go through with this plan and take care of myself. It was all mental to me. As soon as I got through the hard part, which was the first two months, it was like something took over my body and I did not want to be unhealthy. There's no way I can be a Division I softball player if I'm dying when I run."

Massa's lifestyle change led to a daily workout routine after the end of her freshman campaign. She worked out all summer and adjusted her diet. She reported back to campus for her sophomore season down 80 pounds from where she was when she started college a year earlier.

2018 brings with it a new season and an opportunity for Massa to unleash a new and improved version of herself on the Salukis' opponents this season. It also offers another chance for her to keep proving her doubters wrong.

"I just want to prove people wrong from here on out. I'm not going to let anyone tell me I can't do something. I just did something that everyone said I couldn't. I get really emotional when I think about everything I did last year," Massa said as she fought off tears. "I can't believe I did it sometimes. A year ago today I don't think I would've said I could do anything I've done in the last year."

Massa and the Salukis open the 2018 campaign on February 9 with a doubleheader against Abilene Christian and Texas-San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.

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