Meet Pacelli senior Nicole Schroeder
STEVENS POINT - A four-year varsity performer, Nicole Schroeder has paid her dues with the Pacelli softball team.
She went from a pinch-runner as a freshman to being the Cardinals' designated hitter as a sophomore and junior, helping Pacelli bring home a Division 4 gold ball last spring.
Schroeder ranked second on the team entering the state tournament with a .447 batting average in 27 games and led Pacelli with 36 runs scored.
Now one of only three seniors, Schroeder has seen her role continue to grow on and off the field as a player and leader.
She continues to be an integral cog near the top of the batting order. Her ability to put pressure on opposing defenses with her speed and ability to slap hit from the left side of the plate often enables the Cardinals to get off to an early lead in games.
In addition, Schroeder has earned the right to show off her defensive prowess this season. She has settled into her job at second base and fit right in to Pacelli's traditional air-tight defense.
Why did you get involved in softball and what about the sport appeals to you? Where does all your passion for the sport come from? Initially, my parents signed me up for co-ed T-ball, and I loved it. I love the team aspect of the sport. I know that if I'm having a bad day, one of my teammates will pick me up. I also just love to play hard and get dirty, whether it's stealing bases or diving to make a play in the infield. My mom probably doesn't like that as much since she does the laundry!
How do you see your role on this Pacelli softball team? I think of myself as a leader on the team. Whether it's hustling at practice, cheering in the dugout or just working hard in general, I try to lead by example. As an upperclassman and senior, I also feel that it's my responsibility to be a positive role model and influence for the younger players on the team.
Where do you feel you've made the greatest strides over your varsity softball career at Pacelli? I started as a pinch-runner and moved to designated hitter for the past two years. My senior year was the first year I've actually been able to play both in the batting lineup and in the field. I love playing second base, and I feel like my fielding skills have improved greatly over the course of this year.
What is the most important thing you're focused on when you're at the plate or in the field? Because I'm a slap hitter, when I'm at the plate, I'm constantly analyzing the defense, trying to figure out the best placement to put the ball so I can get on base. When I'm in the field, I just concentrate on backing up Brook (Nagorski, our pitcher) and making sure that she knows that her defense is solid behind her.
How do you prepare for a game in the time leading up to the first pitch or first at-bat? I'm not a very superstitious person, but before the game starts, I always brush off my cleats and dump all the sand out of them. I also don't step on any of the chalked lines on the field.
What has been the highlight of your softball career up until this point? Definitely winning the (Division 4) state championship last year.
What would you consider the perfect ending to your high school softball career? I'd love to win the state title again - it doesn't really matter how it happens! As for me personally, leaving it all on the field would be a good way to end my high school softball career.
What would your life be like if for some reason softball was eliminated as a sport and was taken completely out of your life? I've been playing for as long as I can remember, so a life without softball is kind of hard to imagine. I also watch quite a bit of softball during the summer (both of my sisters play as well), so I'd have a lot of free time I wouldn't know what to do with.
Who has been your role model growing up and what lesson have they taught you that you'll take with you the rest of your life? I have quite a few, including my parents, but one special role model would be my Grandma Ginny Wurzer. She's taught me that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. She's always helping out in her parish and at food pantries and many other places. I hope to be as kindhearted and giving as her one day.
If you could choose to meet one person in the history of the world, dead or alive, who would you want to meet, and what would you like to find out about them? In the real world, Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, because her story is so inspiring. I'd ask her how she stayed so strong in the face of adversity. If I could meet a fictional character though, it would definitely be Fred or George Weasley.
Name something on your bucket list that you absolutely have to get done by the time you turn 40: I would love to travel to Thailand.
What is your greatest fear? It's kind of morbid, but an early death.
Tell us something about yourself the average person may not know about you: I love the musical "Newsies!"
How would you define happiness in your life? Being in a place that I love, with people that I love, eating food that I love.
What can't you live without? My friends and family.
Scott A. Williams can be reached at 715-345-2282, or on email at ssswilliam@stevenspoint.gannett.com. Find him on Twitter as @SPJScottWill
Nicole Schroeder
School: Pacelli
Class: Senior
Sport: Softball
Family: Father, Sam; Mother, Mary; Sisters, Sophie (15) and Ella (12)
Favorite subject: Chemistry
Favorite food: Hawaiian Pizza
Favorite all-time movie: "Miracle"
Favorite TV show: "M*A*S*H"
Favorite cartoon character: Scooby Doo
Favorite super hero: Captain America
Favorite musical group/artist: Adele
Favorite pro athlete: Jordy Nelson
Favorite team: Green Bay Packers
Favorite place in Stevens Point: The Green Circle Trail
Favorite vacation spot: Puerto Rico
Facebook, Twitter or Instagram: Instagram
IPhone or Android: IPhone
Fantasy job/career: Designer on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
