FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, February 3, 2016 New Faces: MSUB softball freshman Jackie Preciado
By: Rio Frame, MSUB Media Relations Intern Yellowjacket softball freshman Jackie Preciado is getting set to begin her career at MSUB this weekend at the Desert Stinger Classic in Las Vegas. MSUB SPORTS – Hitting is something that has not always come naturally to Jackie Preciado, and it is an aspect of her game that she has dedicated more hours to than she can remember. Many of those hours were spent in a one-on-one format with a hitting coach in high school. Though the memories of perfecting her swing are not her fondest, the experience in itself has served as motivation. “When I was in high school I had this hitting coach that I went to for about a year, until he told my dad to stop wasting his money on me.” recounts the Montana State University Billings freshman catcher. The comments did not deter Preciado’s competitive fire, but instead further pushed her to prove she could become just as effective an offensive player as she naturally was as a defender.
By the time Preciado landed on the radar of MSUB interim head coach Bekah Gasner, there were no signs of inconsistency within her bat. “Her swing has looked really good this fall. She’s worked really hard,” said Gasner. Graduate assistant Maddie Timoteo, who works specifically with the team’s catchers, even commented that she could see Jackie becoming a cleanup hitter for the Yellowjackets due to her power hitting and hard work ethic. Coach Gasner first watched Preciado play in the Sparkler Tournament hosted over the Fourth of July weekend in Colorado, and then later when Preciado visited MSUB on a recruiting trip. “I think we got really lucky with her,” said Gasner. “She’s got a really strong arm. That was one of the most impressive things that we saw when she came on her recruiting visit. She threw a couple of our really fast girls out at practice. The team was pumped, which I think is always good when you bring in a new catcher.” Considering the shoes – or spikes – Preciado will be tasked with filling this season, the fact that she already has her teammates’ confidence is a plus. The ‘Jackets said goodbye to four-year starting catcher Brittney Sanders, who grew into a first-team all-conference selection before graduating last spring. Now, Preciado and MSUB’s other new catchers Madison Kelly and Katie Jackson, will look to the lone returning veteran in senior Haley Rowe for guidance as they all compete for innings behind the plate. While Sanders’ contributions to the program are numerous and will be long lasting, Preciado has plans to replace the alumna’s ‘Magic Stick’ walk-up song with her own flavor in the form of ‘Calabria 2008’ by Enur feat. Natasja. MSUB was not the only school on Preciado’s list when deciding where she wanted to earn her degree and continue her softball career. She contemplated schools in Utah as well. “I chose MSUB for its outdoor qualities, and it was also a chance for something different from California.” said Preciado. “I really like the cold. But my favorite thing about Billings is the fresh air.” Preciado will be seeing a lot of fresh air with her upcoming spring season fast approaching. The catcher and her teammates are traveling to Las Vegas, Nev., for their first game this upcoming week at the Seventh Annual Desert Stinger Classic. However, this will not be Preciado’s first encounter with collegiate-level softball. Her team played exhibition games this past fall, in which she had the opportunity to witness some competition at the University of Montana. Preciado prepares herself for her games by understanding the opposing team’s strengths and weaknesses. “You should know the different types of athletes on the field,” Preciado commented. “Whether the pitcher throws a right pitch, drop ball, or is a rise ball pitcher. It does not really matter how good the other team is though, I have to give one hundred percent all the time.” This attitude of hard work contributes to Preciado’s dedication to continue improving her playing skills. Both Timoteo and Gasner note that Preciado has an eagerness to learn. Gasner also comments, “Jackie takes productive criticism very well. She is someone who will listen and make an adjustment really quickly. She’s also someone who asks a lot of really good questions. The wheels are starting to turn already and she’s asking the questions that a catcher needs to ask.” Preciado spends her catching practices working on blocking, framing, throw downs, different drills focusing on footwork, cut plays, and working on creating trust between the four different pitchers and herself. Timoteo remembers a practice that they were working on framing. “We have a machine called The Lightning Bolt which shoots out tiny balls that our catchers have to block or catch,” said Timoteo. “They are pretty tough to catch and if you don’t catch them they will
probably ricochet off your body. Jackie looked like a hockey goalie blocking all the balls, but she was laughing the whole time.” Preciado grew up in Ontario, Calif., where she had the opportunity to play softball for 15 out of the 18 years of her life. To share her love of the game, Preciado gave softball lessons to younger athletes in her hometown. Her volunteering did not stop when she moved to Montana, but rather changed to the form of Service Saturdays with her teammates. “I like learning from experiences like going to Tumbleweed last week,” Preciado commented on the local safe haven for teenagers who are without a place to go during the day. “It was an amazing experience. It was cool that people cared enough to create something like Tumbleweed.” Preciado always seems to have smile on her face and a positive attitude to go with it. These two qualities help her as not only an athlete, but a person as well, especially in her chosen career field. “I really like to help people emotionally and I love kids,” said Preciado, who plans to earn a degree in social work that she can apply to working with children who are in unstable homes. “I think it’s pretty sad how people abandon their kids or abuse them in any way.” Any person or child who gets the chance to work with or get to know Preciado will benefit from her positivity and willingness to help others. Preciado has a lot of people who have inspired her, such as her parents, but the person she looks up to most is her older sister Melina. “My sister attends the University of Mississippi, where she plays softball,” stated Preciado. “She had a difficult time in high school, since she didn’t get to play her sophomore or junior years, but she continues to keep going. That motivates me.” The two siblings enjoyed playing softball with each other in high school. Preciado played catcher and her sister played shortstop. “I would do throw-downs and she would catch them,” Preciado remembered. “It was pretty cool, because when we would get an out we could celebrate it together.” Athletes are a common factor in the Preciado household. “My whole family is pretty athletic. We all motivate each other,” Preciado commented after proudly describing her little sister’s abilities in water polo, a sport that Preciado herself also played in high school. The young athlete also talked about how hard her father works at home even after a long day at his job, and how her mother is always emotionally supportive of her. “My parents want me and all of my siblings to go to college and do everything that they themselves did not have the opportunity to do,” said Preciado. When asked, ‘why softball?’, Preciado replied, “Softball is my escape. If I’ve had a bad day, I can go to practice and forget about everything. I feel better after I get off the field.” Playing softball isn’t only Preciado’s escape, but it is a time and place where she meets new friends and makes a lot of her favorite memories. Thinking back on all of her years in softball, Preciado said, “Hitting my first home run is probably my favorite memory since I’m not really known to be a home-run hitter. I’m more of a clutch or base hitter.” Preciado stands at 5-foot-2, and commented how most opposing players don’t expect her to be able to hit a home run. Her six long balls in high school beg to differ from that assumption. Yellowjacket competition better watch out when they hear ‘Calabria 2008’ start playing this spring at Avitus Group Stadium, because this aspiring freshman catcher is up to bat and ready to prove to anyone who doubts her that she is a force to be reckoned with.