<< Previous   of   Next >> Mike Cane/The Herald  (click to enlarge) Becca Bean, senior, Lakewood H.S. She is four-year starter at catcher and last season broke the school record for highest single-season batting average by hitting .493.

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Timeout with … Becca Bean, senior, Lakewood softball

In the world of comics, Thor is a superhero known for wielding a devastatingly powerful hammer. At Lakewood High School, it's the nickname of a girl known for swinging a potent bat.

Catcher Becca Bean is sometimes called Thor because that's the name her dad wanted to give her if she had been a boy. Bean, a team co-captain, started playing softball at age 9 and still gets a major rush from competing.

"I love throwing people out. It just boosts my energy," Bean said. "I just like talking it up and talking to teammates and keeping the flow going."

She's a record-setting hitter who participates in student government and helps the less fortunate.

Coach's corner

This is the second-consecutive season Bean, a four-year starter, has called all the pitches from her defensive position behind the plate. Excellent focus and the benefit of previous experience help her succeed, Lakewood softball coach Steve Barker said: "It's rare that I would trust a player to do what we trust her to do."

Record-breaker

Bean said her proudest moment in sports was having a 15-game hitting streak last season. Her batting average during the stretch was better than .500 and she ended the season at .493, a single-season school record. "I just was seeing the ball really well and swinging when I saw a pitch I liked and just kept going," said Bean, who through last week was hitting .362 this spring.

A better blocker

One area of major improvement for Bean is blocking home plate, which makes it difficult for baserunners to score. A former weakness became a passion for her. "I used to be a horrible blocker," said Bean, who plans to play softball for NCAA Division III Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, "and this past winter I worked really hard with my select coaches and became pretty good at it. I love protecting the plate."

Catching on

Former Mariner Dan Wilson is Bean's favorite catcher. She has a poster of him in her room. "He just seemed calm to me and he knew what he was doing all the time," Bean said.

Getting involved

In addition to being Lakewood's Associated Student Body executive secretary, Bean has done community service. She recently helped collect more than 2,000 pounds of food for a local food bank. Asked why she did it, Bean said: "It was how I was brought up. I want others to be able to eat and to have stuff that I have."

Favorite movie

"A League of Their Own" (1992) starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna. The comedy/drama is about women who play in a pro baseball league during World War II. It's a funny, inspirational film, said Bean: "The whole movie is hilarious to me. It makes me think that we can do anything."

Mike Cane, Herald Writer