Lindsey Ziegenhirt had crushes before, but not like the one she had on Cal.
When legendary Bears softball coach Diane Ninemire offered her a full-ride scholarship during a campus visit two years ago, the two-time All-Metro first-team catcher from Sheldon High School could not refuse.
"I gave (Ninemire) a verbal (commitment) right away," she said. "I was sophomore at the time, but it was a situation where they offered everything I wanted.
"Cal is a school I really wanted to go to. So when they made the offer, I didn't hesitate to take it."
Ziegenhirt's word has been her bond ever since. And like many elite prep athletes throughout the country, the incoming senior continues to learn what it means to pledge to a school before signing a letter of intent in her senior year.
Committing early not only takes blue-chip athletes off the recruiting market but also lessens some of the strain that comes with hundreds of colleges competing for their services.
In Ziegenhirt's case, however, committing early has resulted in feeling pressure to stay in contention for the scholarship.
Consequently, Ziegenhirt is using the summer to hone her skills. She is playing in Amateur Softball Association summer tournaments and working out three times week with trainer Patrick Gallagher at Pure Athletics in El Dorado Hills to improve her speed, agility and strength.
Ziegenhirt batted .446 with six homers and 47 RBIs last season for Sheldon. Still, she is working with a hitting instructor to connect better on outside pitches.
In short, Ziegenhirt is doing all she can to fit in with an elite program like Cal's, which won the national title in 2002 and was the runner-up to UCLA in 2003 and 2004.
"When you give a verbal (commitment) so early, you have to prove to everyone why," she said. "You can't go out and say you're just good enough. You have to prove it by getting better and upholding the reputation of Cal."
Those closely associated with Sheldon's program say Ziegenhirt has lived up to the hype of a top-notch player since she was a freshman.
Pitcher Jolene Henderson, who as a junior earned The Bee's All-Metro Player of the Year award in June for the second consecutive year, is Sheldon's most celebrated player.
But many consider Ziegenhirt the heart and soul of a team that finished the past season with a 32-2 record, won its second consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title over Elk Grove and finished fourth in USA Today's Top 25 national poll.
"Lindsey is truly valuable for us," Sheldon coach Mary Jo Truesdale said. "To be a great pitcher, you have to have a great catcher, and that is what Jolene has in Lindsey."
Henderson, who also committed early to Cal, agrees.
"Lindsey does so much in terms of helping my game," Henderson said. "She knows when I'm pitching well and when I'm struggling. She knows what pitches will work with certain hitters and which ones won't.
"Basically, I feel completely secure with Lindsey behind the plate."
Ziegenhirt appears to have been destined to play softball. Her mother, Laura, played third base for Pacific from 1980 to 1983, and her older sister, Katie, pitched for Sheldon from 2003 to 2006.
Lindsey, however, became a catcher by default.
Six years ago, Laura was a coach of Katie's Little League team. Katie threw the ball so hard that Mom didn't want to risk another player getting hurt. So she put Lindsey behind the plate instead.
"Really, I had no choice," Lindsey said.
Today, she is a natural at the position, earning All-America honors. She will play in the 2008 Under Armour All-America Game on Sunday in Orlando, Fla., with Henderson and Courtney Ceo of Bear River.
Ziegenhirt says she doesn't mind Henderson receiving most of the credit for Sheldon's success. However, she is happy to get noticed.
"Naturally, people watch our team and they say that pitcher is great," she said. "But most times, people don't realize that the catcher is the one calling the pitches or the one framing the pitches behind the plate to convince the umpire that the pitch is a strike.
"I tell people all the time that the one who wears the mask is the boss. And it's so true. Catchers are the only ones who can see everything on the field. So I guess I'm the leader."
Call The Bee's Quwan Spears, (916) 326-5517.
