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Catcher/1st baseman anchors Beavers offense after breakout sophomore season

March 18

Confident Barnes leads UMF offense

By Matt DiFilippo mdifilippo@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON -- McKell Barnes remembers one game in high school. She went 1 for 3 with a double for Brunswick that day and went to brag to her father.

"After the game, I went up to him and I was like, 'Dad, did you see that hit?' and he was like, 'Yeah, that was good, but you also struck out twice,' " Barnes remembers.

"Striking out twice in one game isn't OK for me," she adds. "I think I recognize the potential, and that's why I'm so intense about it, is I accept nothing less than what I know I can do."

Through two seasons on the softball team at the University of Maine at Farmington, Barnes has become known for that intensity, which she says she gets from her father, and a burning confidence. Her numbers at the plate are even louder.

Though she hasn't played a game in her junior season --UMF begins its season April 8 -- Barnes already hold the school's career record for home runs. Last season, she hit .527 with 13 homers and 44 RBI in just 91 at bats. The strikeouts aren't a problem anymore, either: In her college career, Barnes has struck out 17 times and hit 18 home runs.

Her numbers as a sophomore ranked with the best players in the country in Division III. Barnes led the nation in slugging percentage (1.088) and home runs per game (0.43) and was also top three in batting average, on-base percentage (.614) and RBIs per game (1.47).

"That certainly was pretty (unusual) and maybe even under-appreciated around here," UMF coach Cyndi Pratt says. "I don't think people realized, even on this campus, what an outstanding season she had, statistically-wise, in a national sense."

Barnes catches about half the time for UMF and plays first base the other half. The Beavers were 17-13 last season, which meant Barnes had to collect herself 13 times.

"I probably have never met anyone as competitive as myself," Barnes says. "I hate losing, whether it's intramurals, during practice -- I hate losing. If we're beaten by a better team, it's not OK, but it's more acceptable."

Naturally, Barnes is a big reason UMF doesn't have to deal with losing all that often. She bats third for the Beavers, and teams have tried different strategies to deal with Barnes and her power.

"We were definitely pitching around her last year, and she hit a home run," Thomas coach Terry Parlin recalls. "You can't get it anywhere near the zone when she's on."

Other teams have noticed that Barnes' coverage with her bat extends beyond the plate, so sometimes they just intentionally walk her.

"It's frustrating, in a sense. However, I also see it as respect," Barnes says. "But when I'm up there, and we're down by one run, and we've got a runner on second base -- hell, no, I don't want to be walked. I'm up there to hit.

"But that's just the nature of the game. You have to just take the good and the bad, and go with it. I trust the people behind me to get it done if I am not able to."

Along with how quickly a mostly inexperienced pitching staff matures, the key to UMF's season will be how much other players can produce when teams won't pitch to the slugger. Barnes hit about 250 points higher than her teammates last spring, but that gap could be smaller this season.

"Obviously, I would like to do as well, if not better than last year," Barnes says. "But realistically, I'm sure they probably won't pitch to me as much as they pitched to me last year. I think we're going to be a much better hitting team. I think we've grown as hitters, matured as hitters, and I think we have a strong incoming class as hitters."

If Barnes sounds confident in herself, she is. She knows what she can do at the plate, and she's also secure in knowing that she can help UMF's pitchers at their game.

"Softball is 90 percent mental, if not more," Barnes says. "You can't be too confident, because then you're cocky, and that's when you're not going to do well. But I think to have confidence is a necessity in such a mental sport.

"I've seen so many people -- including myself -- who have taken themselves out of the game just because they let one bad play or one strikeout get to them. You just need to brush it off and know that you're going to get it next time, and I think that comes with confidence."

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com