![On Tuesday April 1, Boston Globe journalist and Boston University professor David Abel answered questions about his award-winning film “Inundation District.” The film delved into the risks of extreme floods the Seaport region of Boston is facing amidst commercial development. Abel was inspired by his climate studies that revealed grave statistics. “I have covered report after report after report with projections about how our seas are likely to rise over the coming decades,” Abel said. “And it would seem, as I would get each new report, that the worst case projections would only get [more] dire. That left me feeling like this was a really significant story that needs to be told in ways that are hard to just tell in print.”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-06-at-9.40.04 PM-e1743990080418-1200x800.png)
![From left to right, junior Ben Pyhtila, sophomores Aadith Charry and Owen Chislett play their cello instruments. Junior Jubin Kim also plays the cello and has been playing the instrument since third grade. "I think that [the cello] is a good balance between a high instrument versus a low instrument, and I just really like the rich sound that it makes," Kim said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_6540-1200x800.jpg)
From the pitcher’s mound, junior Sophia Beckett is described by teammates as boss. With the flick of her wrist she can make the ball rise, drop, curve, or zoom past the batters.
With a record of over 200 strikeouts last season and winning the Dual County League (DCL) all star award, Beckett is a stand-out on her team. When she comes up to the mound, the batter doesn’t know which of her numerous pitches is going to be coming at them. The current national leader for strikeouts according to MaxPreps is Emily Neeham. With 254 strikeouts, is Beckett on track to lead?
“Striking the batter out is the best feeling,” Beckett said. “It’s my favorite thing when I throw a pitch and strike the batter out. My favorite pitch to throw is a change up.”
Beckett started playing softball in third grade and immediately found a love for the sport. Beckett played multiple positions trying to get a feel for what she liked. Eventually, in fifth grade, she started pitching after playing the other positions. At the beginning, Beckett didn’t care for pitching, she only did it because her club team needed a pitcher. Even though it wasn’t her initial plan, Beckett was described as a natural.
“The dad of a girl on my club team got me into it,” Beckett said. “There was no other pitcher, and they needed someone to pitch, but my mom didn’t want me to because she was scared I would get hit in the face. I pitched anyway and the first pitch I ever threw was a strike.”
Besides having the skills to be both a starter and junior captain of the WHS softball team, Beckett fell in love with the position because of its elements and individuality. Beckett also made the 2025 players to watch list by Metrowest Daily News. She enjoys the team element of the sport, but also likes how when pitching, it’s just her and the batter.
“I like pitching because I have no interaction with others while I pitch [and] I’m totally locked in,” Beckett said. “Being in the circle, I’m in my space and no one can touch me.”
Not only does Beckett love pitching, but she enjoys playing on a team. She looks forward to striving for a win with her teammates during every game, whether that’s her club team or the WHS team. Since softball isn’t a contact sport, the basic skills become much more important to master.
“I like that, you can’t do it all by yourself, you need everyone on the team to work together,” Beckett said. “I also like how it’s not aggressive like other sports, it’s much more technical.”
Beckett has been enamored with her sport her entire life. She follows it closely and is always finding new goals to strive for. She works hard so she can be like her idols.
“I would say my biggest inspiration is Karlyn Pickens, she plays for the University of Tennessee,” Beckett said. “She’s my biggest inspiration because she just topped the fastest pitch recorded, which is really cool. You wouldn’t think she’d be able to do that in college softball. It’s really impressive.”
While one of Beckett’s favorite things about softball is pitching, she also really loves spending time with her team and creating a bond. The support from both of her teams is what led her to setting the new WHS strikeout record.
“[My record] is over 200 I think,” Beckett said. “I achieved it because I pitched in all the games and worked with my team, which made it easier for me to break the record.”
According to Beckett, you don’t achieve record breaking status simply by playing and practicing during the season. Beckett spends a lot of time on her sport throughout the year outside of the normal season. She believes the extra practice she puts in is what leads her to do so well on the field.
“I worked really hard over the winter and I trained with my coach,” Beckett said. “We worked on a ton of different spin pitches, so going into the spring season, I was feeling really confident. I play club during the winter time, and we have practice every weekend for four hours on Sunday, so that trains me well. I go to all the practices for my club team.”
Beckett is very dedicated to playing softball, specifically pitching, making her stand out from the rest. Her love for the game and passion for her team leads her to breaking records and becoming successful. Through lots of training and hard work she has been able to attain such an outstanding record, leaving her mark on WHS softball.
“I love playing softball, and it has been a part of my life for so long,” Beckett said. “I am looking forward to working with my team this season and striving for victory every game. Hopefully breaking a few more records too.”
