The CT Softball Blog

TRUMBULL—Somewhere in the future Kelsea Flanagan might just save the world.

Or at least the Florida coastline, if she has any say in it.

Before that, however, the senior softball catcher at St. Joseph in Trumbull has at least five more years of competitive softball still to play: This upcoming season for the Cadets, and then four years at Clarkson University.

Earlier this fall, Flanagan verbally committed to take her talents behind the plate to Clarkson to play for the Golden Knights.

“I actually found Clarkson back when I was in middle school,” said Flanagan, who lives in Milford. “I play hockey, too, and Clarkson was the first school I started following. Of course, back in middle school, you think you’re going to a Top-10 D-1 school.”

While Clarkson never left her radar, her love of softball continued to grow.

“I realized Clarkson had everything I wanted for softball, as well,” she said. “When I went up there, I met the coach, some of the girls, and they were so welcoming. It truly did have everything.”

Especially the major Flanagan wants to pursue, which is engineering.

To be exact, Flanagan hopes to come out of Clarkson—which is D1 in women’s ice hockey but Division 3 in softball—and get into the field of environmental engineering.

“I’ve always loved nature, and the environment,” she said. “It’s something I’m very passion about. Our earth is going to be completely different by the time I’m in my career and I’ve always thought it was very important to try my part and curb that trajectory.”

See? This kid could change the world.

“Here’s the good thing with her,” St. Joseph head coach Jeff Babineau said. “She could have played at a Division 2 school, no problem, but she went for the school with the academics she wanted and sought out being able to play softball. She wants to be an engineer and she’s a smart kid. That’s her passion.”

Flanagan still plays hockey. She also played three years of volleyball at St. Joe’s before managing this past fall season.

Softball, however, came to the forefront once Flanagan hit the high school ranks.

“I always have loved hockey and it’s still a big part of who I am as a person, but softball? I just love everybody on my team,” she said.

Her hockey prowess has helped Flanagan become a better catcher.

“Her hand-eye coordination is phenomenal, and I think that has a lot to do with hockey, all that puck handling,” Babineau said. “She’s done a lot of work in every offseason to make herself better. She worked to frame better, to block better. And she’s improved her hitting and become a much better hitter for us.”

When she was a youth player, Flanagan was one of the biggest players on the team so her coaches threw her behind the plate.

“I guess I was taller so they put me back there and I just stuck with it,” Flanagan said. “I just fell in love with it, being a part of every play. Catching is in my heart.”

St. Joe’s is perennially a contender in both the FCIAC and state ranks.

With one year remaining in her high school career, Flanagan wants to wring everything she can out of her senior year.

“I think St. Joe’s has really contributed to my skill development and love for the game,” said Flanagan, who has played travel ball for the CT Impact and Extreme Chaos. “It’s a great group of girls and we have a fantastic coach. It’s a big family there and that’s really helped me. Like every year, we want to make a competitive run in FCIACs and states, hopefully come away with a title or two, but our goal is just to focus on putting in all the work we can so we’re ready for the season.”

One more high school season remains. Then four college seasons.

Then, Kelsea Flanagan figures, it will be time to go change the world.

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