Central Michigan University Athletics
Smalltown Talent Produces Big-Time Power
4/5/2019 11:44:00 AM | Softball
CMU softball player Erika Underwood comes of age
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Erika Underwood's path and her story are fairly common.
She was raised in Addison, Mich. (pop. 588), a village located on U.S. 127, 2 hours directly south of Mount Pleasant, and graduated from Addison High School (enrollment: 243) in 2015.
Underwood's high school softball career was phenomenal and when she left Addison, she shared the state record with 49 career home runs. Underwood's .595 career batting average still ranks among the top 10 in state history.
The transition to college life didn't come easily, as is frequently the case, whether a freshman is involved in athletics or not. The adjustment to college can be infinitely more difficult on a student-athlete such as Underwood, who, as a home-run hitter, came to Mount Pleasant with a reputation for punishing softballs.
For better or for worse, the expectation spotlight shines brightly, and sometimes it burns.
"I kind of panicked about coming here, because I was just so nervous," Underwood says. "I was leaving some place that I was always with my family every day. I'm only two hours away; but for me, I'm a real homebody, so that was a real adjustment."
First Underwood got accustomed to her surroundings, then she became more comfortable in the batter's box. You can't get to second base without stepping off of first.
"Freshman year I was a different person than I am today," says Underwood, who plans to pursue a career in law enforcement. "I have mentally matured so much and I became confident in the box and I think that's what helped me progress to where I am today. If I had stayed (at home) I don't think I would have become who I am. The mental side of the game is what really helped me achieve."
Underwood moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and today has 19 career home runs – six of them have come this season – tying for fifth in program history. She hit .305 with five homers and 26 RBI as a sophomore in 2017, and last season hit .382 with eight round-trippers and 29 RBI, earning First Team All-Mid-American Conference honors and Second Team All-Great Lakes Region accolades from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
A competitor to her core, Underwood played football with the boys – yes, tackle football – beginning with Pop Warner and continuing through her freshman year at Addison High School, where she played tight end, defensive end, and served as the place-kicker for the school's junior varsity team.
Her foray into the sport was no lark. She was a player, a contributor who caught a touchdown pass to beat Addison's rival, Hudson.
Football "really helped me grow and mature a little bit faster than others," says Underwood, who, after the ninth grade, took her hard hits exclusively to the softball diamond. "I liked the physical contact of hitting in football, but as I got older, I realized the guys were getting a lot bigger than I was getting."
From Underwood's success in the batter's box has sprung a confidence and, as her reputation has grown, a requisite patience as pitchers have adjusted and pecked at corners of the plate in an effort to get Underwood to chase bad pitches.
Hitting, like life, is all about adjustments. She walked 15 times as a sophomore, 23 times as a junior, and has drawn 14 free passes this season.
"Putting myself in game-like situations in practice, in my head, really helped me in gaining my confidence back," she says. "It's not always about looking at results, but looking at the process of how I get somewhere … and not let the past hinder what I'm going to do in the box now.
"I have to be more selective in the box and hit my pitch and not (swing at) their junk pitches. Patience is a big part of it."
She was raised in Addison, Mich. (pop. 588), a village located on U.S. 127, 2 hours directly south of Mount Pleasant, and graduated from Addison High School (enrollment: 243) in 2015.
Underwood's high school softball career was phenomenal and when she left Addison, she shared the state record with 49 career home runs. Underwood's .595 career batting average still ranks among the top 10 in state history.
The transition to college life didn't come easily, as is frequently the case, whether a freshman is involved in athletics or not. The adjustment to college can be infinitely more difficult on a student-athlete such as Underwood, who, as a home-run hitter, came to Mount Pleasant with a reputation for punishing softballs.
For better or for worse, the expectation spotlight shines brightly, and sometimes it burns.
"I kind of panicked about coming here, because I was just so nervous," Underwood says. "I was leaving some place that I was always with my family every day. I'm only two hours away; but for me, I'm a real homebody, so that was a real adjustment."
First Underwood got accustomed to her surroundings, then she became more comfortable in the batter's box. You can't get to second base without stepping off of first.
"Freshman year I was a different person than I am today," says Underwood, who plans to pursue a career in law enforcement. "I have mentally matured so much and I became confident in the box and I think that's what helped me progress to where I am today. If I had stayed (at home) I don't think I would have become who I am. The mental side of the game is what really helped me achieve."
Underwood moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and today has 19 career home runs – six of them have come this season – tying for fifth in program history. She hit .305 with five homers and 26 RBI as a sophomore in 2017, and last season hit .382 with eight round-trippers and 29 RBI, earning First Team All-Mid-American Conference honors and Second Team All-Great Lakes Region accolades from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
A competitor to her core, Underwood played football with the boys – yes, tackle football – beginning with Pop Warner and continuing through her freshman year at Addison High School, where she played tight end, defensive end, and served as the place-kicker for the school's junior varsity team.
Her foray into the sport was no lark. She was a player, a contributor who caught a touchdown pass to beat Addison's rival, Hudson.
Football "really helped me grow and mature a little bit faster than others," says Underwood, who, after the ninth grade, took her hard hits exclusively to the softball diamond. "I liked the physical contact of hitting in football, but as I got older, I realized the guys were getting a lot bigger than I was getting."
From Underwood's success in the batter's box has sprung a confidence and, as her reputation has grown, a requisite patience as pitchers have adjusted and pecked at corners of the plate in an effort to get Underwood to chase bad pitches.
Hitting, like life, is all about adjustments. She walked 15 times as a sophomore, 23 times as a junior, and has drawn 14 free passes this season.
"Putting myself in game-like situations in practice, in my head, really helped me in gaining my confidence back," she says. "It's not always about looking at results, but looking at the process of how I get somewhere … and not let the past hinder what I'm going to do in the box now.
"I have to be more selective in the box and hit my pitch and not (swing at) their junk pitches. Patience is a big part of it."
Players Mentioned
1B
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