Eliza Leicht Catches On To Softball From The Very Start

Eliza Leicht Eliza Leicht C/INF Rolesville | 2028 NC didn't know everything a catcher did when she joined her first recreational softball team. But after seeing the equipment the players got to wear, she quickly volunteered to squat behind the plate. 

Her love for the position has endured. Although the 2028 recruit also plays shortstop and some outfield, Leicht feels comfortable as a catcher. 

“I like being in control and having some sense of power on the field,” she said. “I like being able to see everything, and being able to really help my teammates when they need it most. One of my best friends is a pitcher, so being able to help her out is really fun.”

Leicht, a North Carolina native who plays travel ball for NC Rebellion, started playing T-ball when she was five years old and moved to softball after she quit gymnastics.

“My brother played baseball when he was younger and throughout high school, so I guess I kind of wanted to be like him,” she said. “It's gotten more intense as I've gotten older, and I think the competitiveness of it makes me like it. I love being able to really go all out while I am playing.”

Leicht remains a two-sport athlete. She started volleyball in middle school and is a right-side hitter for the Roseville High team.

“I have a very competitive high school coach, and she kind of brought back more of the love for volleyball,” she said. “I do have a stronger arm from softball and can hit the volleyball hard and I find that really fun.”

Leicht recently participated in the USA Softball HPP National Selection Event for the second straight year in Vero Beach, Florida, where she was able to interact with coaches and former college standouts like Washington graduate Sis Bates. 

“I think this year I had more of a chance to prove myself in the field and do more,” Leicht said. “I think as I'm getting older and being able to talk to coaches and players that have played the game before, I think I just had a better experience. I feel like I am getting more information from people.”

Along with Bates, Leicht considers former Florida State star Josie Muffley a role model for how she wants to play.

“She was one of my favorite players when they went to the World Series,” Leicht said. “That was probably one of my favorite years to watch softball. Her tag of the player stealing is one of my favorite plays of all time. I always kind of looked up to her.”

Muffley was a former ice hockey player, and Leicht is also a fan of a winter sport. She enjoys snowboarding whenever she gets the chance.

“We have some family friends that have a cabin in Snowshoe, West Virginia, so I started skiing when I was probably seven or eight,” Leicht said. “A couple years ago, I switched over to snowboarding because my brother bullied me into it. It's now one of my favorite things to do.”

Leicht has a 4.4 GPA and excels in math. She's thought about majoring in analytics or statistics in college or studying to become a physical therapist. 

“I really want to keep improving and take my game to a higher level so I can try to play in college,” Leicht said. “I really want to see how far I can go because I enjoy playing softball so much.”