Every time she steps up to the plate, Karen Chaw ’17 performs the same small routine.
“Measure out the plate, twirl my bat a little, swing and hope I hit,” she said.
Chaw said she puts on “a game face” to hide any worries from the pitcher, and focuses intently on hitting the ball.
Whatever it is, it seems to be working. As one of just two players to start all 23 games this season, Chaw is tied for the lead in home runs and is the outright leader in RBI.
“She’s a great player and has a lot of composure, especially for a freshman,” head coach Rachel Hanson said. “I’m able to really rely on her in crunch time at the plate.”
Chaw has an aura of quiet intensity at the plate, friend and teammate Morgan McCalmon ’16 said.
Chaw plays beyond her years, McCalmon said, remaining unfazed under pressure.
“In the game, she’s a little more focused but she still brings this attitude of having fun, having a blast, smiling all the time,” she said. “You can see it right before she steps into the box or the outfield, but she’s still able to maintain her focus.”
Chaw’s bat has generated 21 hits, 16 RBIs and four homers. Her .288 batting average, .338 on base percentage and .493 slugging percentage have made her a force in the middle of Dartmouth’s lineup.
Chaw started playing softball when she was 7, and started competing in tournaments at 9 in Castro Valley, Calif. She grew up playing catcher and third base and was recruited by the Big Green to play these positions.
Team needs, however, have forced Chaw into the outfield, a role she graciously accepted. The team has 13 players rostered as either catchers or infield positions, as opposed to only four outfielders. Chaw’s position switch has helped the team because it allows her to bat more often since she is able to play more in the outfield rotation.
“I think that’s a testimony to her athleticism and her ability to adapt to change,” McCalmon said, noting Chaw’s willingness to ask questions. “She acts like she’s been playing outfield her whole life.”
One of the biggest challenges, Chaw said, of has been maintaining focus in the outfield. While the catcher touches the ball every pitch and infielders remain fairly active fielding grounders and pop-ups, outfielders must be ready to sprint at a moment’s notice for an incoming ball, which requires them to maintain focus during long periods of inactivity.
The highlight of playing softball, Chaw said, is spending time with her team.
“They’re my first family,” she said of her teammates, “and by far my closest.”
Chaw plans on majoring in environmental science with a minor in studio art. After a high school ceramics class, she became interested in studio art, which she has further explored through both a sculpture and drawing class at the College.
Since Tuesday’s game against the University of Massachusetts at Lowell was canceled due to weather, Chaw next takes the field on Friday against Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., hoping to propel the 10-13 Big Green to a win in its first Ivy League game.
