Caught in the spotlight

Starting out as a shortstop, Emma Kennedy found her passion for catching when she was young. One moment set her love for the position in stone.  

“One of our catchers was out with the flu, the other was on vacation, and my coaches asked, ‘Who wants to try and catch?’ I was like, ‘Let’s try it. I just wanna see what will happen,’” Kennedy said.  

For her, it was everything.  

“That game, I threw my first runner out, and I knew that that’s what I wanted to do,” Kennedy said.

And she stuck with it. Having role models like her grandfather and the support of her teammates, Kennedy is able to be the player she is today.  

For Kennedy, her teammates play a big role in terms of motivation and inspiration. However, her role model is her grandfather, both athletically and academically.  

“He played Division I baseball, football and basketball for Denver University. He had an offer to play for the Pirates, but he said no to go to college. He inspired me to keep pushing, and keep playing, and go to college,” she said.  

While it might not be easy, she has people looking up to her that keep her motivated. Her little brother, for example.  

“He tells me all the time that he wants to play in college because I went to college and played. He wants to be a big-time athlete, and he looks up to me,” she said. “So, I want to keep going and be a positive role model for him so that he goes and does the same thing, and hopefully can do it better than I did.” 

She went on to prove herself with two-way success so far in 2025. The senior has made 20 total assists so far. In her first season with The Rock in 2022, she tallied a team-high of 243 putouts with 23 assists.  

It is not just talent that gets Kennedy playing well, sometimes it’s superstition. For Kennedy, doing her hair and makeup gets her in the zone.  

“Before every game, I do a full face of makeup, [I] have to. Look good, feel good, play good,” she said. “I get my hair done, braided every day.”  

Not only does feeling her best make her play her best, but she also has a special routine every time she is up to bat.  

“Before every at-bat and between every pitch at bat, with my bat I hit both my cleats, tap the plate, spin my bat, point to the outfield and just kind of swing until the pitcher gets set, and then I get set,” Kennedy said.  

Along with that, she has one cleat double-knotted and the other single-knotted. 

“I noticed I did it one game when I was younger, and I popped off real good. Hit like three home runs that game. I think I’ve been doing it since I was 12,” she said.  

Kennedy mentioned that for her, it’s the adrenaline rush that keeps her in the game.  

“Being a catcher, you’re in every play, and it’s one of the more dangerous positions,” Kennedy said. 

But for her, being in every play is not a bad thing.  

“I like being in every play. I like being able to control the field. It’s kind of like just who I am,” she said.  

While she may enjoy being in every play, it is definitely not without its challenges.  

“[the most challenging part is] all the balls in the dirt, with runners on third. Because if I miss a ball, they score,” she said. 

Even in those tough spots, she finds comfort in her team. Especially with her best friend, Aubrey Mansfield, also being on the team.  

“She really motivates me to keep going. She helps me keep a positive mindset,” Kennedy said.  

One of Kennedy’s favorite memories with the team resides off the field when they all participated in an escape room together earlier this year. Not only was it a team-bonding experience for them, but also a good way to get to know each other.   

Having that time together off the field brings them closer for when they’re on the field.  

“We’re a team, we’re a unit. We work really well together; we communicate,” Kennedy said.  

Another thing she enjoys is that she gets to be a voice for the team. While everyone is listening to her on the field to see what play she might call out, she’s a voice in the dugout, too.  

“I’m one of the louder ones. In the dugouts, I’m one of the main people that start the cheers and get everyone fired up. I really like being able to do that,” Kennedy said.  

Kennedy is not the only one firing up the team. The vibe of a new field has played a big role in that as well, Kennedy believes. 

“This is a really good year for us as a team. The whole new field is giving us extra motivation. I think this is the best we’ve ever started as a team since I’ve been here,” she said. “I could really see us going far.”