Taunton High School softball captains excel on and off the field as they hope to continue a dynasty
The two senior captains of Taunton High School's softball team in Taunton, Massachusetts have not only broken records on the field, they're also giving stellar performances in the classroom.
The Taunton Tigers are shooting for their fifth straight Division I High School Softball Championship this year.
Shooting for fifth straight title
"We've upheld a dynasty," said co-captain and shortstop Brooke Aldrich. She and her co-captain, pitcher Cate Larson, have been a part of the championships every step of the way since they joined the team in eighth grade.
"Unbelievable," said head softball coach Michelle Raposo. "Not only five times in a row that we're in this predicament but these girls were a part of every single one. So this is like history in the making."
One big reason why the Tigers are going for a five-peat is their familiarity with each other.
"We all basically grew up together," said Aldrich. "We all grew up playing our local rec team, we traveled up throughout the ages, so we've just been playing together for our whole entire lives."
As captains, Aldrich and Larson have a special bond as leaders, teammates and lifelong friends.
"When you're feeling down or if you're depressed in the field, you made a mistake, so she's there to pick you up," said Larson.
"You know whatever pitch is going to be called, she's going to hit exactly where it's supposed to go, she's not going to miss," said Aldrich. "She's very reliable."
Rank high in the Class of 2025
Both girls also rank high in the Class of 2025's 575-person class. Larson is eighth and Aldrich is 23rd.
"There's actually a lot of analyzing that goes into pitching because you have to read where the batter is or where's the umpire calling, how far off the plate do you want to throw it, what the situation is?" said Larson. "So I think softball is a very intellectual sport, which has definitely played into my academics."
"I feel like in the softball aspect helping academics, you really are forced to think," said Aldrich. "Like you're forced to think ahead and really work through problems. So I feel that definitely helps, academically."
Both girls are heading to college in the fall with scholarships. Larson will attend Georgetown University, where she'll major in biology and Aldrich will follow in her sister Hannah's footsteps and attending Providence College, where she'll major in health sciences and management.
"It's a very good academic school, they're in the Big East conference," said Larson. "And the softball team is just a good program."
"The campus is so beautiful, the community. A lot about the community, everyone's just friends," said Aldrich.
Both teams are in the Big East Conference, so Larson and Aldrich will still be seeing each other too.
"They're teammates and they're still friends but they're going to go on and essentially be enemies on the field but at the end they'll still be friends," said Raposo. "It's just incredible for both of them to go out there and compete at high levels, especially around here."
