Notre Dame signee Shannon Becker wraps up star-studded career
MAHOPAC, N.Y. (BVM) — Shannon Becker is known around the softball diamond as a once-in-a-generation type player after dominating competition throughout her high school career.
Since her arrival on the Indians’ varsity team in eighth grade, Becker has gone on to stamp her name into the New York state record books, doing so without a junior softball season. When Becker first joined the varsity team, it didn’t take long for her high school coach to recognize the talent the incoming pitcher had.
“It was my first year coaching for the district and my athletic director mentioned we had a few eighth graders trying out for JV/Varsity [teams],” Mahopac softball coach Cristina Giansante said. “We had one girl (Shannon) who was a pretty good pitcher, who would be trying out for varsity. [I’m] not from Mahopac so I had never heard the name, but she came to tryouts, pretty quiet, and the second she started throwing I knew she was going to be great. She was in eighth grade throwing like she’d been on varsity for a while.”
The early inclination on Becker would prove to be spot on. In her sophomore season with the program, the Indians’ star pitcher posted a 0.39 ERA while racking up 369 strikeouts in 163 innings pitched. The breakout year from the sophomore helped lead Mahopac to a 19-4 season in 2019.
After her junior season was canceled due to the pandemic, Becker would have to wait to showcase her abilities on the mound until the ensuing year. Following up her sophomore season would be a difficult task, but Becker found a way. The Indians’ ace pitched to an even higher level her senior season, holding opponents to just 29 total hits.
The Mahopac senior pitched to a 0.00 ERA, with 286 strikeouts in 139 innings pitched. With little room to out-do herself, Becker’s ever improving game still shocks those around her.
“Every winter, when we would start workouts, she’d come back faster,” Giansante said of her pitch velocity. “I don’t know how, but every first bullpen I would be floored at how much faster and how much more movement she had since last year. You think those stats are impressive, then she goes and puts up a 0.00 ERA the following season. Like I said, video game stats. Kid is lights out. Total command of the game.”
The dominating season from Becker led to her being named Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year for a second straight season. The Mahopac ace became the first in program history to win the award back in 2020, and has now become the first-ever in the area to repeat as the softball award winner.
“Winning Gatorade Player of the Year is an incredible honor and often a once in a lifetime achievement, but to win it back to back is just insane,” Giansante said. “For me, that’s the highest honor you can get. Forget All-American, I would pick Gatorade Player of the Year any day… She is a once in a lifetime athlete and these awards and accolades just seem par for Becker’s course. She deserves every ounce of recognition she gets for her achievements.”
I am so incredibly excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and softball career at The University of Notre Dame! A huge thank you to my family, coaches, and friends who have helped me along the way! I am so excited to start this new journey! Go Irish!!!☘️ pic.twitter.com/OvtnHgpshB
— Shannon Becker (@shannonbeckerr) September 29, 2019
The results on the mound don’t just come down to Becker’s natural talent. The pitcher has racked up quite the accomplishments during her time including 11 career no-hitters, two perfect games and 43 shutouts. Perfecting her craft has been an instrumental part in the pitcher’s success as she’s made sure to constantly outwork the competition.
“She absolutely has incredible talent and is a natural athlete, but her understanding of the game, and how she got to where she is, it’s not just from talent,” Giansante said. “Talent can only get you so far. It’s the dedication, drive and commitment that really got her here.
“She dedicates a lot, and gives up a lot. Way more than most teenagers would to perfect her craft… She’s a total beast. She’s the kind of kid people celebrate foul balls off of. The kind of kid people write, ‘Had a single off Becker,’ in their stats.”
After leaving behind one of the most accomplished high school softball careers the state has ever seen, Becker will look to replicate her success at the next level. The 6-foot pitcher is an incoming freshman at the University of Notre Dame and is already primed to make an early impact.
Her coach think’s the sky’s the limit for the incoming Notre Dame freshman and is already looking forward to watching her on game day.
“You get a kid like this, with this talent, paired with her drive… and give her the space to continue to work, and even more time and support, I mean good luck to anyone and everyone because she’s going to blow the roof off of everything with all that opportunity,” Giansante said. “She will not waste a second of it. I am officially the biggest Notre Dame softball fan out there–next to her family.”
