Cary softball building around freshman standout

Cary’s program is always fighting a lack of year-round club players in a sport dominated by stars that have played softball year-round from a young age. That makes it tough to compete in a conference like the Southwest Wake Athletic Conference.

Second-year Cary coach Jennifer Jewell is hoping she has a player that can make a difference this year and the next three seasons with freshman shortstop Sage Caskey. She’s been playing year-round softball since she was 7.

“We’re trying to build a foundation,” Jewell said. “She’s a hard worker and very intense player for us. She plays much older than as a freshman.”

Caskey shares her knowledge of the game with less experienced players and offers steady encouragement.

“We all make mistakes in a game,” she said. “You just have to pick yourself up and keep playing hard. I love this team. I love playing with the girls. This is a team that gets pumped up supporting each other. We’re getting closer as a team.”

It’s common for players such as Caskey to seek out a program with a stronger winning tradition, but she says she’s enjoying her role at Cary.

“It’s about more than winning and losing,” Caskey said. “We’re making lifelong friendships. Years from now we’ll forget what game we won or lost, but we’ll still be friends.”

This story was originally published April 20, 2017 at 9:51 PM with the headline "Cary softball building around freshman standout."