Wednesday afternoon at Oxford, Greene junior second baseman Caitlin Willis went 2-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. By the standard she set in recent games, Willis’ batting average actually went down, and the performance was actually a step back from the way she performed earlier in the week.
The Greene junior second baseman is playing that well.
Against Delhi and Hancock in a Tuesday doubleheader, Willis was a combined 6-for-6 with three doubles and two triples and five RBI. For the season, she is hitting an amazing .593, and is playing her third starting position in as many varsity seasons for Trojans head coach Rick Smith. It’s no doubt a breakout season for Willis, yet this season almost didn’t happen.
A starter on the Greene varsity soccer team – one that went on to win the MAC championship – Willis suffered a complete tear of her anterior cruciate ligament midway through the season. Just a few short years ago, a complete ACL tear typically took a player out of action for close to a year.
“Caitlin has been such a nice surprise, especially when you stop and think that we didn’t think we would have her this year,” Smith said. “She’s hitting the heck out of the ball, and they aren’t cheapies.”
In a way, everything Willis is giving the Trojans this spring is a bonus, and it’s been a huge bonus. The Trojans are in the midst of clinching a third straight division title, and eye a repeat MAC league championship. Willis is front and center as one of the integral players on the team, and is our choice this week as Smith Ford LLC, Giant’s Warehouse/Evening Sun Athlete of the Week.
Willis’ batting average has jumped over 100 points just in the last five games, and the huge spike started last Thursday against Bainbridge-Guilford. She accomplished one of the rarest of batting feats hitting for the cycle – a single, double, triple, and home run – driving in four runs in a 16-0 victory. Saturday, Willis had three hits, two of those doubles, in an 8-0 romp over Norwich. Those exploits were just hors d’oeuvres from this week’s main course.
“I’ve known Caitlin since she was 12 when we started our summer travel team,” Smith said. “She’s quiet, but she’s very driven. She wants to be the best, and she’s more than willing to work for it. The way she is playing this year shows even more how dedicated she is.”
Willis is as consistent a hitter as Greene has had this year, and she proved her ability in the clutch as a sophomore in last year’s Section IV playoffs. Facing a Tioga team that beat the Trojans in the Section IV Class C finals in 2009, Willis scored teammate Natalie Greene with a single to right field for the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. The win helped propel Greene to a second straight sectional finals appearance.
“I’ve been calling (Caitlin’s hit) against Tioga the biggest hit in our program’s history,” Smith said. “It was a huge hit, and it took us to another level.”
Willis has taken her own play to another level, and it’s to the point where she now wants to play softball in college. Before her injury, Smith said Willis’ stated goal was to play soccer in college. “That (decision) is definitely good for me, and for the team,” Smith said. “And the best thing is that I have her one more year.”