Hillsdale College senior Sam Catron is putting the finishing touches on what will go down as one of the greatest careers in Charger softball history.
She added another honor on Thursday, earning her second G-MAC Softball Player of the Week award of the 2021 season, the conference office announced.
Catron was excellent in helping the Chargers finish off its best regular season performance in 30 years, splitting with Findlay and Ohio Dominican to finish 29-15 overall, its best record since a 40-5 mark in 1991.
The senior batted .500 with four doubles, two home runs and four RBIs in the four contests, closing in on multiple school records in the process.
A fifth-year senior who was slated to graduate last year, Catron lost almost all of her senior season in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She decided she had too much unfinished business to move on, and returned for one more season. That's proven to be an excellent choice, as she's had one of the finest seasons in Hillsdale College history.
Through 44 regular season games, Catron is hitting .408 with 19 doubles (one shy of the school record of 20 set in 2008), 14 home runs (one shy of the school record set in 2010) and 46 RBIs (three shy of the school record of 49 set in 2010). She's also fifth in school history in runs scored in a season with 48 despite batting fourth in the lineup, and her slugging percentage of .823 is the third-highest in a single season in school history.
Catron's unprecedented year is also helping her soar up Hillsdale's career record list as well. She's moved into the top 10 in career hits (seventh, 180), doubles (third, 49), home runs (second, 23), RBIs (fourth, 117), and walks (fifth, 51) this season.
With the G-MAC Tournament still to play this week, Catron is in play to set several Hillsdale records.
The Chargers open the tournament with Ursuline on Thursday, 12:30 p.m., in Findlay, Ohio. Catron and Hillsdale are looking for a third tournament title in four years, with the cancellation of the season in 2020 preventing them from defending their title last year.
Photo by Summer Fields