Ms. Softball: Roy's MaCauley Flint was as fierce as she was focused

ROY — MaCauley Flint is tough.

Not just throw-a-softball-faster-than-some-people-drive tough. Not just dive-in-the-dirt, head-first, collision-guaranteed tough. And not just run-as-fast-as-you-can-for-as-long-as-you-need-to tough.

Flint is pitch-until-your-arm-aches, hit-until-you-have-blisters, ignore-doubters-and-haters-with-equal-energy tough.

But maybe what the winner of this year's Deseret News Ms. Softball Award does best, however, is see a light at the end of any tunnel.

Obstacles, at least in MaCauley Flint's eyes, are just opportunities. As long as there is one more out, one more pitch, there is a way.

"She is the fiercest competitor I've faced in all the years I've coached," Syracuse coach Kelly Anderson said of the Roy High standout. "She can beat you on the mound and in the batter's box. She has an unbelievable drive to win."

And even when MaCauley Flint was just a towheaded preschooler, she was showing her competitive fire in just about every way possible, according to her mom.

"She's always been a natural perfectionist and leader," said Angie Flint. "She always wants to beat the boys at school; she's just always had that drive."

Her focus, drive and competitive nature make her a natural in a sport like softball, where one bad play, one mental lapse, can lose a game. And nowhere is Flint's determination more apparent than when she's in the circle.

"From the time she was 10 years old she's known how to win games," said her father and Roy assistant softball coach Travis Flint.

But MaCauley isn't just blind ambition or unbridled passion. She is also focused and disciplined in ways that other teenage players might not even understand.

The senior, who will play for Salt Lake Community College next year, was walked more than 20 times this season and did what many young hitters cannot — exercised patience.

"That's crazy uncommon," said Roy coach Amanda Koford, who is also her aunt.

On the mound, Flint finished the season 23-1 with an ERA of 0.84. She had 200 strikeouts in 136 innings as she led the Royals to the 5A state title, her second championship in three years. She was just as effective offensively with a batting average of .484, knocking in 29 runs and scoring 34 more in the process.