Meet the senior softball class of 2020: Rachael Donald
Rachael Donald’s Southeast career did not start with a bang, as she barely saw the field at all during her first two seasons. She appeared in 17 games total and had 16 total at-bats her first two years.
Donald said those first two years were hard but she came to appreciate the little things she was doing to help the team.
“It was hard for me to handle at first,” Donald said. “However, I filled other roles for the team and learned so much about the game and about life.”
Donald said that sitting those two years gave her perspective and lessons that she will carry on for the rest of her life.
“I’m now such a huge advocate for fulfilling your role on the team to the best of your ability, no matter what the role is,” Donald said. “I learned several skills during those years that I will use for the rest of my life.”
Make no mistake about it though, Donald still wanted to play and once she got the role of starter, she delivered. The same way she delivered in her role as a bench player.
She was a steady presence for Southeast during their Ohio Valley Conference championship season. Donald appeared in 57 games and started 51 behind the plate. She had 261 putouts, 18 assists and only four errors while helping the Redhawks pitching staff to a 2.72 team earned run average.
Donald hit .202 during the season but had a .308 on-base percentage thanks to the 14 walks and two hit by pitches she accrued in 116 plate appearances. She also had five sacrifice bunts.
Coming into her senior season, Donald had turned the corner in the hitting department and when the season was called off she had a .367 batting average, which makes it a tough pill to swallow.
“I felt great hitting,” Donald said. “I was so happy because I’ve struggled with it in the past. That is one of the many reasons I was so upset about the season getting canceled.”
Donald finishes her career with a .220 batting average and a .320 on-base percentage. She also had 351 putouts, 27 assists and only five errors in 88 career games.
“I’m so thankful for all my years at SEMO,” Donald said. “I wouldn’t change anything, especially not the lifelong friends I have made.”
Donald will graduate at the conclusion of the semester with a degree in Communication Disorders following a successful academic career that featured three OVC commissioner’s honor rolls and an OVC Medal of Honor. She will be attending graduate school for speech-language pathology.
Donald said she plans to have softball in her life through coaching either at a school or helping players in her hometown of Dupo, Illinois.
