Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-May Pasqualini

Senior May Pasqualini has the lineage to be successful in athletics. Her parents, Mark and Amy Pasqualini played baseball and golf at the collegiate level. However, May has forged her path, her way, and the four-year varsity player has emerged as not just a standout versatile player for the Wolves, but a leader who has earned the full support and trust of her teammates. May’s play, leadership, and ability to serve as a leader for her teammates are why she is this week’s Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

May tried her hand at everything from gymnastics to flag football as a child, but softball is the sport that seemed to stick. Her father, Mark, helped coach her in t-ball into softball and says, “I always let May define her direction, and when she wanted to compete more, I adjusted my coaching.”

By age 8, May was a travel softball player for the Wheatland Spikes, a travel organization she has shown loyalty to and continues to play for today. It was through this organization, and coaching from her father, that she refined her skills and earned an opportunity to make the varsity team at OE as a freshman.

Although her first season was canceled because of covid, it was obvious she had not only the talent but mental acumen to play varsity as an underclassman. “We were specifically looking for a catcher and we needed someone to be able to step into that role,” says Head Coach Sara Davies-Dymanus. She goes on by saying, “May impressed our staff with her great attitude, being easily coachable, loud and supportive, and not afraid to step up. She had a great arm and was an offensive threat from the left side of the plate as a slapper, power hitter, or bunter.”

May is a versatile player with the ability to play shortstop, outfield, and catcher. All 3 of those positions require an immense amount of talent and skill, but it is the catcher position that defines who she is as a player. “May calls the pitches, communicates with our fielders, and hypes up our pitcher,” says Sarah. She adds, “She is in charge and we trust her 100% to get the job done and call the pitches that work. Her teammates respect her tremendously for that and is incredibly coachable and has developed a great working relationship with our staff. She knows what to expect before we tell her, and she is willing to talk with us and ask questions.”

The mental side of the sport is what inspires May to be the best she can be. “If I’m catching I always like to think ahead of what hitters will be thinking while also knowing the pitcher I’m working with,” says May.

No example more perfectly encapsulates May’s commitment to her position and the team than during the regional championship of her sophomore year. “May took the scouting report we went over, shrunk it down, and put it on her wristband so she would know where to adjust our defense for each hitter,” says Sarah. She adds, “You don’t see that every day, and that drive to be the best has continued to grow over the past two years.”

It is not just on the defensive side that May has shined, she has been an offensive threat as well. This season she has a batting average of .431, an on-base percentage of .507, 12 RBIs, 24 runs scored, and has stolen 4 bases. She is a career .359 hitter, and her offensive and defensive skills have attracted the attention of college scouts, signing to play this fall at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.

The Wolves have earned a 14-8 record up to this point, and while May and her teammates have a conference championship and long playoff run in mind, May also has plans for her future outside of softball. A 4.0 G.P.A. student with a score of 1200 on the SAT, May plans on majoring in early childhood special education and becoming a speech pathologist. “May loves spending time with young kids and has a heart for them,” says Mark and Amy. They add, “She works at a preschool center, volunteers in the nursery at our church, babysits, and is always eager to have these opportunities!”

May chose speech pathology because, “I wanted to do something in the medical field and have always loved working with little kids, and I’m anxious to see their learning come to light and being involved in their lives.”

May has already had the opportunity to start her journey by taking the Early Childhood class at Oswego East. Deborah Burgess, May’s Early Childhood teacher, believes May will thrive in the field, saying, “May is intelligent, mature, and dedicated to anything she undertakes.” She adds, “May is extremely patient with children and has a natural ability to communicate and interact with them. Besides being intelligent and a leader, she is also compassionate and detail-minded, all qualities that will help her as a speech pathologist.”

The month of May will bring May and her senior teammate's several big life events such as prom and graduation. While these events are prioritized for every senior, May and her teammates will not waver in their commitment to win a conference championship and make a wave of noise in the playoffs. Still, May has the unique ability to keep everything in perspective and advises future Wolves by saying, “When you put things on a large scale, high school is a small fraction of your life and it goes by quicker than you can imagine. So just have fun with it and get involved. Work as hard as you can and only worry about what you can control.” The Wolves currently sit in second place in the SPC, and while the month of May is sure to fly by quickly with the end of the school year wrapping up, May is just as sure to do everything she can to be the best teammate and player possible.