Princeton Packet Athlete of the Week

Hun’s Caplinger handling pressure

By: Justin Feil
   Nikki Caplinger carries one of the attributes of a big-pressure performer.
   "I am a perfectionist," said the Hun School senior. "I try my hardest to do the best I can. When I’m not doing the best I can, I get angry. My entire life, I’ve been competitive."
   It’s a good thing because wherever Caplinger is on the softball field for the Raiders, she is in a pressure spot. She transferred from Lawrence High last year, and did so assuming she would play second base for the Raiders. Instead, she is in her second year pitching.
   "I told Mrs. (Kathy) Quirk I’d pitch if I had to," Caplinger said. "Then I started pitching more and more.
   "I actually haven’t had a pitching lessons since I was 12. I’m 18," she added. "I’ve been pitching here and there randomly. Sophomore year at Lawrence, I had to pitch because we graduated our two pitchers. When I transferred, they had Carly (Evans). I don’t pitch over summer. Usually as the year goes on, I progress more. I know from last year I’ve gained speed. That’s helped."
   Pitching more than expected fits in with her attitude of helping the team however she can. At the plate, there is no rest for Caplinger. She bats leadoff, setting the stage for the Hun lineup, and this year has been slap-hitting from the left side consistently.
   "I didn’t bat leadoff last year," Caplinger said. "It’s actually awesome batting first. I lefty slap most of the time. I do that to get on base. Then hopefully I can steal second, and Alyssa Fares can bunt me to third and then I can score from there. I try my hardest to score."
   Caplinger helped the Raiders in the circle and on the bases last week. After falling behind Princeton Day School early, Caplinger came on in relief and kept the Panthers scoreless over the final four innings, and scored two runs as Hun rallied for an 8-5 win last Thursday. Then, Friday, Caplinger scattered seven hits and had two of her own to help Hun avenge its season-opening loss to Lawrenceville with an 8-1 win. Saturday, she was back in the circle and held Hill to one run while collecting a hit and a run herself to help the Raiders capture their fourth straight win, 3-1. Caplinger isn’t a big strikeout pitcher, but she brings a calming presence to the Raiders even while feeling some of the pressure herself.
   Nikki Caplinger is the Princeton Packet Athlete of the Week.
   "We’ve tried to take the pressure off her," said Hun head coach Kathy Quirk, whose team lost, 4-1, to Blair in a rain-shortened game Wednesday. "She got a little under pressure Saturday. It was the seventh inning and there was one out and a girl got on base. It was her third day and she was getting herself a little excited. Bill (Quirk, Hun’s assistant coach) went out and talked to her and she calmed down and finished it.
   "I think she knows she’s our No. 1 pitcher and we rely on her. She likes that role. She likes being in charge in a good say. She’s a good leader. She’ll get up there and do her job and she’s very supportive of everyone on the team. Plus her enthusiasm is contagious."
   Caplinger is thrilled to see Hun playing better after an ominous opening against Lawrenceville. Not much went right for the Raiders in that 3-1 loss to start the year. But they have bounced back quickly with a big win over Oak Knoll followed by a perfect week.
   "As we were going into the week, we knew we needed revenge against Lawrenceville," Caplinger said. "We came back and played our hearts out. We really wanted that game. Every day at practice, we practice so hard. We know it’s to win. We know what we want. We want to win. Turning around and winning three games in a row was amazing. The girls were excited about it and so was I."
   Every game in the three-game stretch last week was vital to maintaining the Hun momentum. Had the Raiders not come back against PDS, it could have left them down for the next day’s game. Hun turned to Caplinger’s arm in the third inning to get them out of a jam.
   "It was 4-1. I think there was a runner on base. It was very nerve-wracking," she said. "We did not want to lose. We all wanted to work together. We became a team and worked together.
   "No one harps on the other players. If someone strikes out, we all do our best to pick each other up. I think that’s one of the big reasons why we’re winning. We’re actually working as a team. We’re all one big family."
   After the come-from-behind win, the Raiders had no trouble motivating themselves for the Lawrenceville contest. Hun looked like a different team in the second meeting of the rivals.
   "The first game, the defense was not behind her," Quirk said "We made mental errors. When we should have thrown home, we went to first. And when we were supposed to go to first, we went home. We weren’t hitting the ball. We left 10 runners on base. We were not patient. The last week, we’ve been really practicing our hitting."
   Against Hill, the Raiders scratched out a hard-fought win for their third win in three days. Pitching in back-to-back-to-back games was something new to Caplinger, but she remained steady throughout it, wavering only in the final inning against Hill where her competitive edge got a little too strong a hold on her.
   "In the seventh, I was getting all shook up," she said. "The score was 3-1 and there was one girl on. I just didn’t want to lose the game for us."
   That Caplinger is even pitching at all for Hun would take some by surprise. She doesn’t have the background of many opposing pitchers, but she has made up for it on her own.
   "She’s a very self driven player," Quirk said. "She has taught herself how to pitch. A lot of pitchers nowadays have pitching coaches they go to all the time. She’s done a lot on her own. She puts the pressure on herself. She doesn’t try to strike everyone out. She tries to get good location so hopefully it goes to a player that can field it."
   Caplinger may not have a personal coach, but she has done some coaching of her own. Last summer, she served as pitching instructor for seventh-to-ninth graders in Morrisville, Pa. She also helps her father coach the Jersey Nightmare U-10 travel team. Coaching may keep Caplinger in the game. She is in her final scholastic season of softball and does not expect to continue her career at Rider University next year.
   "I think she’s enjoying every minute of this season," Quirk said. "She’d like to finish out on top."
   Last week gave Caplinger a vision of just how good this Hun team could be. It’s level she hopes the Raiders will keep playing at through the remainder of the spring, and she hopes to do her part.
   "I expect the best out of myself," she said. "I’m a perfectionist. I try the hardest to do the best I can.
   "I’m really excited," she added of the wins. "I hope it continues. I hope we can keep our winning streak going."