File photo by Steve Muscatello Josie Pautzke prepares to deliver a pitch this past Monday against Sleepy Eye. Pautzke has played a big role for Cathedral this season as the go-to pitcher with a 1.97 ERA in 39 innings pitched.

NEW ULM — Josie Pautzke has had a great start to her season this year, a season that almost started in May because of a prolonged winter.

Taking over in the circle the past two seasons for Anna Mohr, 2016 graduate who won The Journal’s Player of the Year in her final season, Pautzke has had big shoes to fill as the Greyhounds’ go-to pitcher. But she has done a solid job of taking the reins so far. As a member of last year’s All-Journal first team, she went 18-3 with a 2.12 ERA. So far this year, she is 9-0 in 39 innings pitched with a 1.97 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 13 walks allowed.

Pitching is something Pautzke has done since she was 8 years old. She said she remembered watching her sister catch for Ali Brey, a 2012 graduate who is fifth all-time on the Cathedral softball career-strikeout list with 364, and wanted to pitch after seeing that.

Trying to duplicate the success that Brey and Mohr both had in the circle has been a challenge for Pautzke, but it’s something she is striving to do with her team behind her.

“I think in the beginning I was nervous,” Pautzke said of taking over for Mohr. “I didn’t want to disappoint anyone or let anyone down. But as the year went on, I was encouraged by my teammates to push because I could be as good or better than her with their help and hard work.”

Pautzke said that she feels her drop ball is one of her better pitches. She also thinks that she’s matured a lot since last year, which has helped her keep her composure more in the circle.

“I think, overall, I just kind of grew up — going from sophomore to junior year,” Pautzke said. “Experience really helps because you get into that circle and you’re comfortable there — it’s like a second home.”

Pautzke is proud of what she’s been able to do so far, but she also wants to put her team first and help in any way that she can for the rest of the year and in her senior year.

“If Heidi [Hoffman] develops well and she can do better for the team, then I definitely think that she should go in and help us out,” Pautzke said.

Hoffman has a 1.62 ERA in 13 innings pitched for the Greyhounds this year with 10 strikeouts. She has played a big role in helping Pautzke get rest in a compacted season.

SUCCESS OVER THE YEARS

The Cathedral softball team is no stranger to success, boasting an 11-0 record this season and an 823-139 all-time record as of May 9. With co-head coaches Jamie Portner and veteran coach Bob Mertz leading the way the past two years, Pautzke has had the opportunity to take multiple different things away from each coach.

It’s helped Pautzke grow as a pitcher and a player, and it’s something she’s taken full advantage of.

“It’s awesome,” Pautzke said of her learning from both coaches. “I really like them both. They’re both so nice and so helpful with any type of question, and if Jamie can’t answer a question, Mr. Mertz can answer it. Or if Mr. Mertz can’t answer it, Jamie can answer it.”

The team’s bond is strong again this year, as it was last year, and Pautzke is proud to be in the situation she’s in at Cathedral.

“I think we’re really close-knit,” Pautzke said. “It really helps that we go to a small school where we see each other’s faces every day. Sometimes we have classes with other people, so it’s really nice to have that chemistry together where we can go up to each other and just talk.”

SHOT AT REDEMPTION

The unbeaten Greyhounds have a doubleheader at Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, and Pautzke remembers full well how her last start against the Knights went a season ago. It was 2A playoff action in 2017 at Caswell Park where the Knights stung Pautzke and the Greyhounds for a 16-1 victory.

“I kind of took that really hard,” Pautzke said. “I’ve never really been rocked like that before, so it was kind of an eye-opening thing. But I am using that for fuel because I don’t want it to happen again, but I’m also prepared how to feel if it does happen again.”

Although that is something Pautzke hasn’t forgotten, she is looking to use it as motivation when the Greyhounds battle the Knights, who are also undefeated on the year, on Thursday. She also knows that there’s a good chance she’ll see St. Mary’s again in the playoffs.

“They’re a good team, they still have great hitters now,” Pautzke said. “And it’s St. Mary’s. It’s a big rivalry, and of course we want to beat them.”

The Greyhounds are also looking to win their 10th consecutive Tomahawk Conference title this season and Thursday’s matchup with the red-hot Knights could be pivotal in doing so.

“I really want to make it happen,” Pautzke said of taking home another conference crown. “It’s very important to me to help give this to my teammates — to all the girls that haven’t had that opportunity before. Tomahawk Conference champions — that’s kind of a big title. We just have to hit well [Thursday]. They’re obviously going to score runs, so we just have to score more. And we just have to keep our composure and stay calm just like any other game.”