The catcher is the proverbial bulwark of any softball team. As Casey Stengel famously quipped, "Without a catcher, you are going to have a lot of passed balls." For Bucknell softball, Zoie Smith has been that bulwark. The senior catcher enters 2024 having been reelected for a second term as team captain, the leading hitter, a returning First Team All-Patriot League selection, and an all-around indispensable person.

The stats tell the tale of Smith's importance to the Bison. Smith clobbered opponent pitching in 2023, hitting .353 (tops on the Bison), pounded 15 doubles, and finished 19th nationally in doubles per game. She powered the heart of the Orange & Blue's batting order. Recently, she collected her 100th career hit, a notable milestone. She would have reached it sooner but COVID-impacted seasons and weather cancelations drastically cut down the number of games played.

Smith's recruiting story was typical yet atypical. There was initial interest that tapered off but like a romantic comedy, she and Bucknell eventually found each other. Even a reopened recruitment couldn't prevent Smith from donning the Orange & Blue.

"I was first recruited by the previous coaching staff (Joey Lye) in my sophomore year of high school. I initially knew nothing about Bucknell. My travel ball coach mentioned it to me and recommended I check it out since I was looking for a high academic institution. I googled Bucknell and realized what a cool place it was. I ended up not committing until October of my senior year when I decided to reopen my commitment. The previous coaching staff was still open to me. The gorgeous campus caught my eye and the academics are second to none."

Smith, with her eye on academics, appreciates Bucknell's sincere stance on the student-athlete model.

"You can be more than just an athlete at Bucknell. Plenty of schools preach student-athlete first and that is not always the case. At Bucknell, you can grow not only as an athlete at the Division I level but also as a person off the field while exploring clubs and organizations. I have worked with campus admissions and have a research job."

Speaking of research jobs, Smith holds a survey lab intern position quantifying data for political scientist Professor Chris Ellis, as part of the Bucknell Institute of Public Policy. She took national surveys on public opinions and broke down the data for Ellis to distribute. It has allowed her to strengthen her academic career. Ellis praised Smith's work ethic and efforts:

"Zoie works in the Bucknell Survey Research Lab conducting nationally representative surveys on political and social life. Zoie's interest in K-12 education sparked her interest in her most recent project, a study of Americans' attitudes toward public schools and curricula. Zoie is a hard working student, a quick learner, and a great asset to have in the lab."

The experience fits well with Smith's double major in International Relations and Spanish. From the beginning, Smith knew she was "pretty good at arguing," math wasn't her favorite subject, and she didn't want to be a doctor. Smith has a deep passion for history and the world. Political science on a worldwide scale appealed to her. Her father served in the Air Force and shared his stories of travel. It lit a flame in Smith that has only burned brighter and brighter.

Softball wasn't always the guaranteed outcome for Smith. She played volleyball in her younger years and also became a star cross-country runner. Bucknell's cross country head coach Kevin Donner must rue that Smith did not stay the course because she collected numerous records and trophies. Some of her seventh and eighth records are still on the books.

"I remember sitting down and talking to my mom and saying, "Maybe I want to do cross country. I will still play softball but I have a greater future in cross country." Of course, softball won out."

Having decided to stick with softball, she now had to pick a position. She tried pitching but decided after one lesson that standing in the circle was not to her taste. Shortstop was out of the question due to her lefty nature. It turns out fate decided for her.

Unlike baseball, where any strong-armed lefty is immediately converted to a mound inhabitant or an outfielder, softball doesn't demand the same. Its circle-dwellers can toss more pitches than their baseball counterparts, thus reducing the need for dozens of pitchers. In baseball, a left-handed catcher is rarer than an ivory-billed woodpecker sighting. Not so, in softball. As the saying goes, softball is bestball.

"It is the aged old joke of the high rec team. My first travel team in 8U needed a catcher. I was eager to try. They tossed me in a bunch of mismatched gear. I'm pretty sure my shinguards and chest protectors were different colors. No one else wanted to play catcher. The rest is history."

The history turned out worth remembering. Smith ended up winning the Johnny Bench Award for best catcher in Ohio. She still vividly remembers the phone call from Bench.

"It was a cool opportunity. It softened the blow from not having a senior season. Earning the Johnny Bench Award that year was meaningful. It was based on cumulative statistics from all three previous years. It was a recognition of my success across three years. I will always recall receiving the call from Johnny telling me I won the award."

Her individual goals are simple. She wants to build off her 2023 success but Smith is practical. As she succinctly put it, "If you try to live up to the player from last year, you will always find yourself falling short." Smith wants to be the best catcher she can be for her pitchers, the best hitter she can be for her teammates, and the best captain she can be for the team. Smith would like to repeat her Patriot League honors. As she acknowledges, it would be silly not to do so, but individual honors aren't the diesel to her Cummings motor.

She enters her second season as team captain. Team 46's goals and needs have vastly changed from Team 45's. Smith treasures that despite the team's change her teammates trust her to provide the tough love and leadership. The catcher is traditionally the captain, but Smith earned her stripes. The captainship was not handed down as per position, but her ability to lead a diverse group of young ladies. Head Coach Sarah Caffrey raved about Smith's leadership:

"Zoie has been such a treasure to this program in her four years. She has made a tremendous impact on her teammates and I am so grateful for her leadership. She has impacted me as a coach, in how I mentor these women. She advocates for everyone all the time and she just has a great work ethic and ability to go get what she wants. She holds herself to a very high standard, and I have been so impressed with the way she carries herself. She will leave a legacy so much greater than softball and I think that will always be what I am most proud of for her."

Bucknell provides its student-athletes with the opportunity to participate in clubs and organizations. Smith has taken full advantage of the chance. She recently traveled to the Women's Sports Foundation.

"It was a phenonemal opportunity. I received the offer due to being a student leader on campus. I journeyed to New York City and listened to a ton of highly successful women in athletic and professional fields. We learned valuable skills and tools on how to leverage our student-athlete experiences and the tangible skills it gives us as we transition out or how to make a career in athletics. I even had the chance to take a photo with Billie Jean King."