Kaylyn Lorrain

Kaylyn Lorrain rarely lets on that she is a rookie as a starting shortstop for the Lake Region varsity softball team.

She fields her position with confidence, skill and has a rocket for an arm. Kaylyn leads the team with 32 putouts at shortstop, and has committed just four errors in eight games.

At the plate, she has power to all fields and has the uncanny knack for zeroing in and making contact when she is behind in the count. In 29 plate appearances, Kaylyn has struck out just once as the Laker’s #2 hitter in the order, and is a team leader with a .345 average.

“For a freshman, Kaylyn has filled a huge hole we had in our defense. She plays with a lot of poise, especially in tough situations, and has outstanding range. It is tough making the transition from middle school to competing against accomplished juniors and seniors, but Kaylyn is never overwhelmed, which is partly due to the fact that she has played against older girls on her summer ASA teams for the past several years,” Laker head coach Wayne Rivet said. “She is driven to succeed. While both rookie and some of our veteran players struggle to drive the ball when they get behind in the count, Kaylyn’s focus seems to increase and she has blistered the ball. She is driven to succeed and, based on what I have seen this year, with continued hard work she can be an impact player in our league in the years to come.”

In recognition of her strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Kaylyn is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.” Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed t-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

The Lorrain File

Name: Kaylyn “KK” Lorrain

Year in School: Freshman

Town: Casco

Parents: Cal and Robert Lorrain

Sports you play: Softball

Best piece of advice you have received? I can remember being four years old at my brother’s baseball game and meeting Gerry Simpson. We started throwing a softball around and he told me, “to always give 100%, have a good attitude, be a team player and to be humble.” His words are still in the back of my mind before every game.

Who is your biggest fan? My biggest fans, hands down, are my parents and my brother. They sacrifice weekends to travel to softball. They’re there for all my games, cheering me on and supporting me.

I know I have had a good sports day when…I look back at the game and know I gave 100%. Also, when my uniform is covered in dirt and I can count the number of bruises on two hands. I can then say, “It’s been a good game.”

What is your favorite sport? My favorite sport is softball. I usually play on three or four teams and play eight months out of the year. It has taught me discipline, commitment, how to be passionate and how to challenge myself.

If I could change one thing about myself as an athlete, I would change…I would try not to beat myself up after a bad play. I am passionate about this sport and I spend hours after a game critiquing how I played.

What qualities make for a good teammate and whom do you consider a good teammate? A good teammate is someone who keeps the morale up, has a good sense of humor, gives words of encouragement, and helps keep all of our heads in the game. A person I consider to be a good teammate would be (our third baseman) Abby Scott-Mitchell. Not a game has passed that Abby hasn’t offered words of encouragement or in some way helped with keeping my head in the game.

What do you believe you bring to your team? I believe I bring a loud voice in the dugout, a positive attitude and 100% effort. I also have a clear head when I step foot on the field and support every one of my teammates.

What characteristics do you feel make for a good coach? Each of my coaches has their own characteristics. Coach Rivet’s words of encouragement; Troy Morse’s sense of humor; Andy Clark’s tips, tricks and techniques; Coach Rock’s passion for the game; and Coach Boody’s personality.