SportsJuly 1, 2016
An all-around standout, Notre Dame's Morgan Duschell nabs Southeast Missourian Softball Player of the Year
Considering her presence on both offense and defense, Morgan Duschell is undoubtedly one of the most complete high school softball players in Southeast Missouri. The 5-foot-4 Duschell wrapped up her junior year as the top hitter on a Notre Dame team that went 27-4 in the fall, a season that culminated with a runner-up finish in Class 3, but it's not only Duschell's presence at the plate that separates her apart. ...
Considering her presence on both offense and defense, Morgan Duschell is undoubtedly one of the most complete high school softball players in Southeast Missouri.
The 5-foot-4 Duschell wrapped up her junior year as the top hitter on a Notre Dame team that went 27-4 in the fall, a season that culminated with a runner-up finish in Class 3, but it's not only Duschell's presence at the plate that separates her apart. She's also a cog in the Bulldogs' defensive infield, a starting catcher who's involved in each of the opposing teams' plate appearances.
A lot of what defines Duschell's game at the varsity level is new. She began playing softball at the age of 7, but it wasn't until her freshman year that she became a left-handed slap hitter. On top of that, she was a third baseman and an outfielder until finally establishing her role as a starting catcher during her sophomore season.
Duschell concluded her junior year batting .495 with 24 RBIs and a team-leading 36 runs scored, but the numbers only justify a part of what makes her so special.
Together, it all adds up to one more accolade -- the 2016 Southeast Missourian Softball Player of the Year.
"She has such a huge heart, and she always tries to find the best in everybody," teammate Madison Landeros said. "She's always so happy. Her personality, I feel like, livens everybody up in the dugout because she's always smiling and happy. When she's down on herself, the best way to help her is to just kind of leave her alone and settle down, and then she's right back up and ready to move on."
Early years
Duschell's versatile arsenal was apparent even at a young age. She didn't participate in T-ball but played coach pitch for a year before quickly moving to travel ball.
One of Duschell's first travel teams was the SEMO Stars, with whom she played center field for two or three years under coach Brian Friga.
It wasn't long after that Madison's father, Michael Landeros, joined the coaching staff and immediately recognized Duschell's arm strength.
"He comes on the team, and he's like 'We've got to put her behind the plate,'" Duschell said. "Me, I was stubborn -- I was like, 'No, center field's my spot.' I didn't want to at all, and then when I threw it down to second for the first time, I knew. It was like, 'This is my love.'
"It's all I wanted to do, and now I'm obsessed with it."
Defensive talent has always been Duschell's specialty, and she admits it wasn't easy for her to give up playing center field.
Nevertheless, she was driven to learn the position by her tireless work ethic and a little persistence from Coach Landeros.
"Michael would have me do blocking drills for hours on end to where I could hardly feel my legs, so when a ball does get through my legs, I almost think, 'Oh, do pushups.' It's funny, like, 'Oh, I've got to run now,' or something like that," Duschell said. "When I do mess up, it's really hard on me because I just don't like it."
Duschell moved into the Cape Girardeau school system in the eighth grade and joined the Cape Central softball team as a freshman. She was used primarily as a courtesy runner before taking on a role as the starting third baseman during the latter half of the season.
As a freshman, Duschell appeared in all 22 games, started 11 times in the batting order and had a .406 batting average in 32 at-bats. She enjoyed a breakout performance when she finished 4-for-4 in a 5-3 win over Kelly on Sept. 18, 2013, before becoming a fixture as the No. 2 hitter in the Tigers' starting lineup six days later, during which she went 2-for-3 in a 3-2 victory against Notre Dame.
Duschell finished the year with 13 runs scored, four RBIs and eight stolen bases, as Central lost the Class 4 District 1 championship game to Hillsboro on a walk-off, three-run homer.
Under the direction of Central coach Amy Blattel, who was a standout slap hitter at Three Rivers College and Southeast Missouri State, the freshman Duschell made the switch to become a left-handed slap hitter.
"I wasn't too pretty because I was right-handed and switched to left all of a sudden," Duschell said. "I was an ugly hitter, but at the end, I was second in the lineup."
Duschell recalls one moment in particular during a practice when she went up against Central standout pitcher Kadie Orenstein.
"I remember I was hitting off her, and about 10 pitches in a row, I whiffed every time. I didn't even touch the ball," Duschell said. "That's when Coach Blattel was like, 'Alright, Morgan, I'm going to switch you over.' I was quick, so she was just like, 'I'm going to switch you over to slap hitting and see how it goes.' I loved it after I figured it out.
"I took it on like catching, just grabbed onto it and worked as hard as I could."
Notre Dame days
Duschell joined coach Jeff Graviett at Notre Dame for her sophomore season but didn't get her first start until 10 games into the season on Sept. 10, 2014. She batted eighth and finished 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, leading the Bulldogs to a 3-1 victory over North County.
Shortly thereafter, Duschell became a fixture as Notre Dame's starting catcher and No. 3 hitter. She appeared in 18 games and posted modest numbers, hitting .304 with 16 RBIs and 19 runs scored as a sophomore. However, with runners in scoring position (RISP), Duschell had a .452 batting average, a mark that was best on the Bulldogs' stat sheet among players with over 15 games played.
"That's even tougher from the left side because the one thing that kind of hampers you from the left side is runners on base," Graviett said. "There are other outs to get. It's just all about your speed, so for her to do that with runners on base is phenomenal.
"It's just a different focus level for her. You can just see it in her mind what's going on when you get runners on and her doing what she needs to do to get them home. ... Her competitive nature is just on a different level than most kids."
As a junior last season, Duschell moved into the leadoff spot and increased her RISP average to a team-high .615. She was a first team all-state selection and was one of three Bulldogs to appear in all 31 games, finishing with a 1.157 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), five doubles, three triples, 15 stolen bases and 12 two-out RBIs.
Furthermore, Notre Dame outscored its postseason competition 51-11 until dropping a 12-2 decision against a senior-laden Warrenton team in the Class 3 state championship game.
Duschell said the outcome was "disappointing, but then it just made a fire inside."
She also believes it taught her and her teammates a valuable lesson about what it takes to be crowned state champions.
"This is it. You've got to play the best game you've ever played," Duschell said. "All of us showed it. We were crying. We were sweating. We were bleeding. When I saw other people putting forth 110 percent, it made me want to put 120. That's what I love about the game, just everyone pushing each other."
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Dominant catcher
There's a lot to like about Duschell's game, but her defensive prowess in particular stands out to most spectators.
It's on a level that draws high praise and distinct comparisons from teammates and coaches alike.
"Morgan's like the Yadier Molina of softball," said teammate Christina Scherer, referring to the St. Louis Cardinals' All-Star catcher. "Anytime someone tries to steal on Morgan, I feel like she's got them. She's just really quick."
Duschell possesses the kind of arm strength that draws those comparisons, but Graviett -- who calls her "a real game changer behind the plate defensively" -- believes there's more to it that separates her from other catchers.
"She just loves it, and to me, that's where it starts behind the plate," the coach said. "You've got to find somebody who just absolutely loves it back there. It's such a hard thing to do, and with her effort, she brings it every day and every game."
Duschell threw out three runners and picked off one as a sophomore, but those numbers took a big leap a year later.
As a junior, she caught 14 runners stealing and had 10 pickoffs. She finished the season with a .389 caught stealing percentage (22 of 36) and was behind the plate for 96 percent of the varsity innings (182 2/3 innings).
Duschell always has had a desire to be involved in every play, but Graviett believes she's gained most of her knowledge on defense under the tutelage of assistant coach Ray Reinagel.
A 1976 graduate of Notre Dame and former men's fastpitch standout, Reinagel was inducted into the Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and has been an assistant coach for the Bulldogs for 13 years, during which Notre Dame has won 322 games and 10 district titles.
"One of his biggest assets is being able to break down hitters," Graviett said about Reinagel. "He learned that from his years behind the plate, so he really tries to teach that to all the girls that catch and pitch for us. ... There's not a better seat to have than sitting next to him while we're on defense."
It also helps that Duschell has been completely receptive to the guidance from her assistant coach.
"When he's giving me pitching signs, I'm already thinking what he's thinking," Duschell said about Reinagel. "... He just gets me and knows my point, and he'll push me to that limit. I admire Ray a lot."
Myriad of influences
There are a number of people who have played a role in molding Duschell into the competitor she is today, including her father, Bill Duschell.
"He'd come home from work tired and didn't want to do anything, but I'd be like, 'Play catch with me. Play catch with me,'" she said. "At the time, I was an outfielder, so he'd throw the balls as far as he could. And I'd go get them and bring them back."
She's also thankful for the support from her grandfathers, Gary Welter and Brian Duschell -- the latter of which passed away when she was a sophomore.
"Every time I talked to him, he would give me the most wise advice," she said. "Whenever we were going to state, I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, I wish I could have his advice right now.' ... He was a huge influence."
She credits coaches like Friga, who saw her potential at a young age, and Michael Landeros, who spent countless hours running drills with her in practice.
There's also an influence from teammates, including former Central star Maddie Daum.
"When I started slap hitting, I looked up to her so much," Duschell said about Daum. "... I would always watch her when she was hitting off the tee. I just wanted to duplicate what she did. She was a great outfielder, a great leader."
Then there's Graviett, who Duschell believes is the kind of coach who finds "the best players for each position."
"Whoever works the hardest, whoever's powering over, whoever's hitting the best -- he will make sure you find your best spot on the team, and he'll let you know," Duschell said about Graviett. "Whenever I'm in a slump, he'll be like, 'Morgan, come on, you need to work.'"
There's an obvious side effect to the instruction from all her peers and mentors.
"It makes me love the game so much more," she said.
The future
As the 17-year-old Duschell prepares for her final varsity season, she understands college is on the horizon.
Duschell said she's dedicated most of her interest in playing at the next level with Auburn University at Montgomery, which officially begins its Division-II era as a member of the Peach Belt Conference for the 2016-17 year and is also the future home of Portageville star pitcher Taylor Tiffany.
But for now, Duschell is focused on leading the Bulldogs a step further and winning a state title. She spends her summer with a travel team called the Blue Dawgs, a squad composed of fellow high school teammates.
"We're all ready," Duschell said. "We just want it to be fall season again."
Duschell said one of her biggest goals as a senior is to set an example for the underclassmen, including freshman catcher Kristen Barwick, who she's tried to mentor as much as possible.
"I want to take all of them under my wing and make them feel welcome because when I came in my sophomore year, I was sweating and nervous, and Nikki Peters and Carson Freeman and all those other seniors took me in and treated me like I was family," Duschell said. "I just want to make sure I do that with them to let them know that you can't take these four years for granted. Mine flew by. I remember my first day at Central softball, and now I'm almost done."
Duschell has grown a lot during her varsity career, but now it's time for her to add another weapon to her multi-faceted arsenal.
Graviett believes she's more than ready.
"The skill-set's there for her and Madison Landeros and those type of girls. Now they've got to be leaders," Graviett said. "We lost some great ones with Anne Ziegler and Christina Scherer and Haylie Santos and those girls last year, so these girls have to step up. It's just not about playing a game. It's about leading a team.
"We're bringing a lot of talent back and adding some more, so the talent's going to be there. It's just about who's going to step up, and it's going to start with a girl like Morgan. We're going to have big expectations for her being that team leader for us vocally. She already does it with her ability, but now she's got to step up and be that leader for us this fall."
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