By Rick Assad
Rachel Little was talented enough and determined enough to stand out after playing four years of softball at Burroughs High.
The highly decorated catcher wanted a chance to play at the next level and is doing exactly that for Utica University in New York.
“At this point, I am pretty pleased with how my college career has gone. There is definitely room for improvement, but I went into my first season knowing the competition was going to be much more difficult than high school ball and travel ball,” she said after getting 30 hits including five doubles, one triple and a homer while batting .323 with 16 runs batted in across 33 games as a freshman. “I feel like I did well adjusting to the level of play and I’m excited to continue getting better.”
Though a sophomore, Little, who also played guard on the girls’ basketball team in high school, feels at home in college.
“It didn’t take very long. I clicked immediately with the other freshmen I came into school with and the returners shortly after,” she explained. “We spend a lot of time together outside of practice and games, which makes our bond and our experiences much better.”
Little’s teammates made her feel welcome from the outset.
“I feel like I belong on a college team. Everyone at this level cares about the sport and enjoys being there,” noted the sports management major who was selected All-Empire 8 Second Team and Empire 8 All-Tournament Team in 2024. “I’ve always been the happiest on a softball field and being surrounded by people who feel the same is exactly where I belong.”
Being a star and team leader for the Bears as a catcher was one key to making the transition to playing at this level.
“High school prepared me for this next step by teaching me the importance of a team dynamic,” Little said. “I learned that the first step to my team’s success is their ability to play well together which comes from the relationships off of the field. I also learned how to push myself and my teammates. Friendly competition on the field has encouraged my teammates and I to work harder and be better.”
There are slight differences between playing prep and college softball according to Little.
“College softball is very different from high school in a few ways,” she said. “The biggest one that I have noticed is that we all share the same goal. We all want to win. We all want to succeed, and we all want to be there. It makes it more enjoyable when your teammates have the same level of passion as you.”
It helped that Little was behind the plate four seasons for the Bears because it requires the innate ability to think quickly and understand the game.
“I had to make a few adjustments, but nothing extreme. The biggest adjustments I had to make were adjusting to how my teammates operate on the field and getting used to sharing the space with them,” she said. “I don’t make as many decisions or important calls as I did in high school but it’s a completely different level of play and this is exactly what I expected.”
Little added: “My coaches are very open to conversations and always want to know my opinions on things like pitches being called, pickoffs, and which pitchers are throwing their best that day,” she said. “I’ve also never played in an indoor facility for softball before so being able to adjust to playing on dirt after spending two months practicing on turf has been one of my biggest adjustments.”
Being on the field and playing the game are what makes softball special and rewarding.
“I was full of emotions for our first games last season. I was nervous for my first college games, but so excited that it had officially started,” Little recalled. “We were also in Florida for our first games of the season so that helped calm my nerves a little bit and helped me relax.”
Of course, there were growing pains but that’s all part of being a first-year player.
“My school has an amazing indoor facility and going there to work on my hitting and throwing mechanics has helped me tremendously,” Little said. “I’m able to go hit for hours on my own, listening to music, and clearing my head.”
The game that Little loves from a young age still remains something special.
“Playing softball is still fun and I love nothing more than this sport,” she said. “There are days when my performance isn’t the best and things can get really hard, but I’m very lucky I have my teammates and coaches that have become great at helping me find the love again.”
Little hopes to have an even better second season and is glad for the people that she’s surrounded by.
“The best thing about playing college softball is the people. I feel more seen, heard, and loved in this community than I ever have before,” she said. “If it weren’t for my best friends, my coaches, and even people I’ve met on other teams, my love for the game would not have grown the way it has.”
