Sis Bates Is The Best Softball Player You’ve Never Heard Of
Sis Bates is so good she was named to ESPN’s All-Time College Softball team before even using up her eligibility at the University of Washington. Now, that’s good.
The Northern California native has been called the human vacuum cleaner for her magic with her glove. She is a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year who makes jaw-dropping plays nearly every game.
“She plays with an infectious joy and energy that all but begs fans and teammates to enjoy the game as much as she does,” said ESPN Softball analyst Graham Hays. “But it’s her ability to do things with her glove that quite literally defy description that mark her as an all-time great.”
All-time greats often make all-time sacrifices to be as good as they are and that’s exactly what Bates did when she was in high school. Every Sunday for three years, she and her father would drive 12 hours and 690 miles round trip just to compete for an elite level softball team.
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The hard work certainly paid off. Bates is already a living legend at Washington and a generational talent coming out of the powerful Pac-12 Conference.
“Pretty special young lady,” Arizona coach Mike Candrea said to ESPN.com. “The thing I love about her is her enjoyment of playing the game. I mean, she does absolutely — it’s quite obvious she has fun. She’s very talented, but I think the big thing is that she brings so much energy to that infield.”
Bates was hitting .535 for the University of Washington before the global pandemic forced the NCAA to cancel the season after 20 games. However, Bates and other seniors around the country were granted an extra season of eligibility as a result. It’s a win-win for everybody. Softball America gets to see another year of defensive wizzardy from Bates as she gets to be a part of the program for another year.
“My favorite part of being a softball player at Washington would have to be all of the relationships that I have been able to build,” Bates told The Ceres Courier. “The memories that I have been able to create alongside my best friends will be with me forever.”
