Many people find their calling in a number of places. For Jamie Schloredt it’s behind home plate.

Schloredt is entering her junior season as the catcher for the Sacramento State softball team.

Having played softball since the age of 9, Schloredt has her family to thank for the position she currently plays.

“I watched my brother play catcher for a baseball team, and I thought it looked like fun so I asked my parents if I could play,” Schloredt said as to how she got started playing catcher.

Little did Schloredt know that it was in her genes to play that position.

“It wasn’t until high school that my brother and I discovered that so many of our family members had played the same position,” Schloredt said.

“I come from a family of catchers, minus my mom — she was a pitcher,” Schloredt said. “It worked out really well.”

Other than the pitcher, the catcher is the only other position involved in just about every play.

“I like the fact that I’m involved in every play ? it’s a rush,” Schloredt said.

Softball is a game where one single play can turn the tide of a game. To Schloredt that’s the reason why she loves the game.

“Being in that moment when you get the chance to do something incredible,” Schloredt said. “Whether it is a diving catch, a walk-off hit or a game-winning home run.”

Coming out of Woodland High School, Schloredt wasn’t known for hitting the long ball, but now things have dramatically changed.

In only her third year at Sac State, she already owns the career home run record, 17, which she broke earlier this season.

“It’s nice to be in the records for something whether it’s that or base hits ? you’re down for something you did here,” Schloredt said.

Making contact with the pitch is a good feeling, but it’s when she doesn’t feel it that Schloredt knows it’s something special.

“Usually I can tell right off the bat if it’s a home run,” Schloredt said. “If you don’t feel the bat hit the ball that’s when you know you hit the sweet spot, and that it’s going to go a long way.”

For coach Kathy Strahan, having a player like Schloredt is beneficial to the entire team.

“Her personality makes her a great fit for the position and for hitting in the third spot ? she plays the game hard and she plays it to win,” Strahan said.

Having played catcher for such a long period of time, the aches and pains of the demanding position are nothing new for Schloredt.

“You get used to it ? my body is accustomed to squatting for so long already,” Schloredt said.

Strahan values Schloredt’s dedication, but admits that she must keep a close eye on her.

“I have to watch her closely because she’ll play hurt, and if she doesn’t know where to draw the line then losing her will hurt this team,” Strahan said.

A player that has the most interaction with Schloredt is one of the team’s leading pitchers, Kayla Meeks.

A pitcher must have confidence in the player who’s catching because it allows for a better relationship between the two.

“Confidence is everything; it could cause doubt if a pitcher isn’t confident with their catcher,” Meeks said.

Schloredt knows when Meeks needs to relax during pressure situations, and this is no doubt due to the amount of time the two have spent together on the field.

“She knows when to take things into her own hands and help me out,” Meeks said.

Encouragement has been important for Schloredt’s relationship with Meeks, but it hasn’t been as important as the relationship she has with her grandmother.

Barbara Williams is Schlroedt’s grandmother and her biggest fan.

“I try to make it to all her games ? nothing is going to keep me home,” Williams said.

But recently Schlroedt’s grandmother was forced to miss the Mustang Classic, played in San Luis Obispo, due to her recent knee surgery.

Regardless of whether she is in attendance, Williams is proud of her granddaughter.

“I’m proud of what she does and how she goes about it,” Williams said. “She’s always been a competitor and I like seeing her competitive nature.”

Schloredt feels that it will be tough for her to leave the game of softball.

“In 10 years I will probably be playing slow-pitch somewhere just so I can keep on playing,” Schloredt said.

Jose Martinez can be reached at [email protected]