Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Olivia Gray
School: Trinity
Year: Senior
Sport: Softball
Gray’s week: The senior shortstop led the Hillers to four wins, including an 11-7 victory over West Mifflin in the Section 3-AAA opener. She went 8-for-15 at the plate with three home runs, including grand slams against the Titans and Lodi (N.J.) in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
“She has come through several times for us. She did it again today,” Trinity head coach Shawn Gray, Olivia’s father, said. “Her bat is hot. She’s been hitting really strong with line drives. She’s been really working out for the season and she’s excited for it.”
Preparation: The Pitt recruit was one of the most consistent players in the WPIAL a year ago, batting .554 with five home runs, six triples, eight doubles and 30 stolen bases.
The Hillers’ No. 3 hitter led her team to a second-place finish in Section 2-AAA and the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals.
Trinity (2-0, 5-0) was moved to Section 3-AAA this season with Thomas Jefferson, which defeated the Hillers in the quarterfinals, Elizabeth Forward and Belle Vernon.
Gray saw an area of her game she wanted to improve – hitting for power. She found a different way to build upper-body strength leading up to this season. Though she still lifts weights every morning before school, it was her work in a swimming pool that prepared her for the 2015 season.
“Last year, I was playing soccer a little bit and I got a stress fracture in my shin, so I didn’t want to run on it again,” Olivia Gray said. “I jumped in a pool, a low-impact kind of thing to make my back and shoulders stronger. It gave me some endurance. It was pitiful, but I swam.”
As a freshman, Gray admits her approach at the plate was simple – make contact. Now, her knowledge of the game is beginning to show. During Monday’s victory over Belle Vernon, Gray stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.
She slashed a ball over the right fielder’s head on a 1-0 count to clear the bases.
“When I was a freshman, I used to shoot for contact, but I think my knowledge of the game has improved so if there’s a runner on second base I’m going to shoot for right field or shoot for somewhere they’ll score,” Gray said.
High expectations: Despite entering a new section, Trinity is seen as one of the top teams in Class AAA behind Gray and junior first baseman Delaney Elling, a Penn State recruit. The emergence of junior Paige Galentine as the Hillers’ ace and a strong group of complimentary players has Trinity aiming high this season.
If Gray continues to drive in runs at a high rate and displays strong infield defense up the middle, Trinity is well-positioned for another playoff run.
“I think the team is coming together well,” Gray said. “I think we’re all meshing well as a team and we know our goal is to win a WPIAL title. That’s what we’re shooting for and hopefully we’ll make a name for ourselves in this new section.”
Compiled by Lance Lysowski