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05/11/2017 12:00 AMMegan Zampano battled her way back to make sure she was 100-percent ready to play for the Guilford softball team this spring after her junior year was cut short due to an injury. Megan has come back better than ever and is doing a great job of leading the Indians both behind the plate and in the dugout.
Megan, a senior captain catcher, started playing softball in Little League and advanced to the travel level in 7th grade. Megan was an outfielder as a freshman and earned the job as Guilford’s starting catcher in her sophomore year, but then missed a good portion of her junior season after suffering a wrist injury.
However, Megan has made a big-time comeback as the lone senior on Guilford’s roster this year; she currently sports a .292 batting average with six RBI for the Indians, who are 8-3 and recently clinched a berth in the Class L State Tournament. Megan was also selected to play in the 10th annual Scholar Athlete Classic that will take place at West Haven High School on Wednesday, June 21. Players are chosen based on their softball ability, school accomplishments, and community work.
“Over the winter, I took in lessons on catching, which helped. I also gained more confidence in myself at the plate,” says Megan, who was also the team manger for Guilford girls’ basketball the past two seasons. “At first, I was resting my wrist, and then I was taking pitches to help get motion back in my wrist. I didn’t catch or bat as much during summer ball, and then I worked on dropping and blocking for catching last winter in my lessons. This year, I’ve been playing in games fully and have had no issues with my wrist.”
Megan is accompanied by several veteran underclass athletes on the field this season. Still, as the Indians’ only senior, Megan knew that she had to take her leadership skills to the next level in 2017.
“Because of being that only senior, I felt I had to really step up to the plate and be a good role model,” says Megan. “I felt I had to step up because I wanted the other girls to have someone to look up to on the team. But we still have a lot of experience on our team, which helps us.”
Megan says that her early experience in the outfield gave her a great understanding of softball that paved the way to her becoming an astute signal caller in her subsequent seasons.
“Playing as an outfielder my freshman year helped me understand the other positions and, now as a catcher, I know where the outfielders should be on certain plays. I’ve gained a lot of confidence in telling the girls where to pitch the ball and where the fielders should be. My pickoff abilities have also improved, too,” Megan says. “Being a catcher is like being a quarterback. I can see the entire field and know what to do in certain situations. Like for example, with a bunt, I make sure the fielders are in.”
Indians’ skipper Steve Zajac has witnessed the evolution of Megan’s career throughout the past few years. Zajac says that Megan’s progression comes as no surprise given her commitment to excellence toward both herself and her teammates.
“Her sophomore year, Megan started all our games as catcher. She quickly showed off her best asset, which is her throwing arm. Her arm stopped many teams from stealing bases on us during the year. Junior year, Megan continued doing a great job behind the plate,” says Zajac. “This season, Megan has started most of the games for us. This year, I have been most impressed with her bat. She has also been more vocal behind the plate, as a catcher has to be a leader on the field. Megan has always worked to get the most out of her ability. She works hard in the offseason, playing summer ball for many years, along with fall ball with many of her [Guilford High School] teammates. Megan is always there for her teammates, cheering in the dugout and willing to help with all drills in practice. We will miss having Megan on the team next season.”
The Indians have shown glimpses of playoff greatness in recent seasons. Now, Megan and company are ready to reach the next level and embark on a push that goes beyond the opening rounds of the Conference and State tournaments.
“What has helped us this year is that we are focused in practices, and the fact that we all want to win and have the talent to do it,” says Megan, who thanks her parents, Kelly and Jim, along with all of her former and current coaches. “[Guilford’s 7-5 win versus Foran] win was huge for us because were lost the lead in the seventh, but we came back to win. We are using successes like that to help drive us forward and get us deep into states.”