CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - It’s always been baseball for the boys and softball for the girls, but someone obviously forgot to tell that to one student-athlete in Coral Springs.
Breaking barriers while throwing a nice breaking ball — meet Kate Maston, a pitcher at Coral Springs Charter.
“Well, I’ve topped out at 75, but I’ve threw around the 73, 74 range,” she said.
Following in her brother’s footsteps, Maston has been playing baseball since she could put on cleats.
Her love for the diamond now has the 14-year-old pitching for Coral Springs Charter Varsity Baseball Team.
“Nothing against softball, but I just like the competition in baseball,” said Maston.
“She’s always just moved different,” said Rich Maston, Kate’s father. “Some of the things I tried to teach her, she picked it up in a day. She absolutely loves the game, loves the game. I mean, she would cry her eyes out when it rained.”
Whatever you do, don’t tell Maston she throws like a girl.
“Honestly, I hate that expression, especially when it comes to her because the line up she’s facing and the hitters she’s got now don’t say it,” said Coral Springs Charter head coach Charlie Fine. “If you want to say it to her, she’ll use it for motivation.”
“I really don’t have to say anything. I kind of just use what I’ve worked so hard for, and I show it with my actions,” said Kate.
Striking out multiple varsity boys this season also earned the softball her first win on the bump.
“I just know that I’ve worked hard to get it and that my coaches helped me, like, throw the right pitches and put me in the best position to strike them out,” said Kate.
Her efforts are certainly appreciated by her teammates, who go out of their way to make sure she feels comfortable on and off the field.
“She’s doing her job, just like the rest of us,” said Coral Springs Charter pitcher Aj Prendergast. “She’s become one of the guys. We don’t treat her any different. We give her a hard time just like everybody else.”
“It’s amazing. She’s done phenomenal this year,” said Coral Springs Charter shortstop Haiden Walters. “The situation she’s been put in– just locate her fastball. It’s impressive against these other good teams she’s been pitching against.”
She’s also been inspirational for other girls at the school where baseball is the route to their field of dreams.
Christina D’agostino plays on the school’s junior varsity baseball team and is a member of the school’s softball squad.
“I’ve always wanted to play baseball, but I saw her out there, and she gave me like a way to play baseball too,” said D’agostino. “She showed me that a girl could do it.”
Kate said she wants to keep playing baseball through college.
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