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Bellevue East senior catcher Makenzie Michael has accepted a scholarship offer to play softball at Creighton.
Through work with hitting coach Jerrad Hardin and one of her Finesse summer team coaches, Kate Muldoon, Michael has developed into one of the state's finest defensive catchers. Finesse coach Joe Negrete said Michael is hitting .324 with a .989 defensive percentage through nearly 50 games of the summer season.
“One of her biggest assets is that Makenzie is learning everything she can from Kate,” Negrete said. “She's worked harder than I've ever seen a kid work with a coach to get where she wants to go.”
Finesse, which is playing A ball with a younger lineup this season after spending the past couple of years at the gold level, has catchers call the pitches and pickoffs, just as Creighton does.
“She's really developed a knack for calling her game,” Negrete said, “but her hitting is what has really improved the most this season.”
— Steve Beideck
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