Like other Virginia undergraduates, you can find Katie Weinberg rushing to psychology classes, hanging out with her five apartmentmates or making late-night Arch's runs.
But if you really want to find Weinberg, chances are she's staking out the far reaches of the field for the Virginia softball team, shattering opponents' hopes for a hit or preventing them from rounding the bases with long throws to the infield.
For the sophomore, a center and left fielder from Reston, Va., and one of the Cavaliers' nine starters, softball has been the major focal point of her life since she began a summer league team with her father at age 10.
"Every summer, I traveled all over the country with softball," Weinberg recounted. "That's pretty much how you get seen for softball. I also played with my high school, but it's different. Summer ball is much more challenging and has better competition."
Weinberg arrived at Virginia last year as one of a seven-member recruiting class. Her decision to play for the Cavaliers was an easy one.
"I've always wanted to come here," Weinberg said. "My sister came here. Virginia has a great program and a great coach. Plus, it's close to home. It was my first choice."
Last season, on a team that included six seniors, Weinberg saw limited minutes as a pinch-hitter and in the outfield.
"We had a senior center fielder last year, so Katie spent a lot of time working on her game in practice," said junior Kristen Davis, the ACC Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week. "This year she's really breaking out of her shell and showing us what she can do. She has one of the strongest arms in the outfield."
Weinberg has now taken on a starting role and provides the team with important contributions, thanks to her speed - Weinberg is fifth in the ACC with stolen bases with five - and her strong, accurate arm.
"Last year was a really positive experience because I went into this year knowing the way the game goes here," she explained. "I think coach [Cheryl Sprangel] has a lot of confidence in me because she sees I can get things done. And my hitting is really starting to come around."
In her past four games at the Winthrop Invitational Tournament, in which Virginia garnered a first place finish, Weinberg batted .333 and racked up two RBIs and three runs.
"Once I get going, I start having a lot more confidence," Weinberg said of her tournament performance.
Weinberg appears to be happy at the University and even is involved in extracurricular activities besides softball, such as The Cavalier Daily. She brags about the softball team's close-knit dynamic, and speaks fondly of her family, including her father (and first coach), who travels to Charlottesville each weekend to watch his daughter's games. She is also optimistic about softball's increasing popularity.
"The emphasis on softball is growing from where it was a couple of years ago," she said. "It isn't football but it is definitely more popular than before. We don't always get as much recognition as we'd like. But playing still is awesome, and there is a great fan base that comes to the games"
Read More
Malik Washington selected 184th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins
By Xander Tilock | 3 hours agoWashington may have fallen down the draft board, but he will surely make a significant impact at the professional level.
At Virginia wushu, everybody is ‘Kung Fu Fighting’
By Xander Tilock | 4 hours agoA national powerhouse, Virginia wushu is both a top tier athletic club and a welcoming community.
Five Takeaways from Virginia’s Spring Game
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayVirginia football is shaping up to make significant progress in 2024, led by an array of newcomers and promising underclassmen.
