The CT Softball Blog

TRUMBULL—Mackie Caouette’s recruiting journey didn’t begin with highlight videos or whirlwind campus tours.

It started with a camp.

As a freshman, the St. Joseph shortstop attended one of Hofstra University’s softball camps, and what she found on Long Island kept drawing her back. The coaching staff, the campus, the culture and the vision for the program all left an impression that never faded.

Now, three years later, that first impression has become a commitment.

Caouette, one of Connecticut’s premier middle infielders and a rising senior shortstop at St. Joseph High School, has committed to continue her academic and softball career at Hofstra University starting in the fall of 2027.

“I started going to their camps around freshman year, and I really loved how the camps were run,” Caouette said. “Because of those, I was able to see the campus and I really liked that. Hofstra’s campus is split, so on one side there’s buildings and on the other side there are the athletic facilities. That’s a really cool aspect that I like.

“I really like the culture that they create there, and it’s something I can really see myself being a part of. Obviously, the coaching staff is a very big part of my why.”

For Caouette, the decision wasn’t made overnight, but Hofstra consistently remained at the top of her list.

“I would say Hofstra was always kind of on my front end because they were one of the first schools that I found out about and one of the first schools I went to a camp for,” she said. “With all my experience working with them and being at that school, they’ve always kind of been on my front end.”

Like many young athletes, playing Division I softball had been a dream for as long as she could remember.

“Obviously, Division I has always been my goal ever since I was a really young girl,” Caouette said. “But as long as I got the chance to play at the collegiate level, I would’ve been happy.”

Her softball story actually began by following someone else’s.

Caouette’s older brother played baseball, and she spent countless afternoons watching him before joining him in the backyard.

“My older brother started playing baseball at a very young age, and I loved going to watch him play and going out in our backyard to practice with him,” she said. “When I was four years old, I started T-ball and I instantly fell in love with it.”

That love eventually evolved into becoming one of the state’s top defensive shortstops, a position she embraces because of everything it demands.

“I think it’s all the action and the responsibilities of being a leader on the field,” Caouette said. “That’s what really drew my attention there since a young age. I really love how that position helped me develop into becoming a leader and a very important part of the field.”

Those leadership qualities haven’t gone unnoticed by those around her.

St. Joseph coach Jeff Babineau immediately put Caouette as his starting shortstop when she arrived on the Trumbull campus.

“Mackie Caouette has proven herself since she stepped foot on campus as a freshman. Her internal drive is so very strong and her work ethic is one of the best we’ve had here at St Joes,” Babineau said. “She leads both on the field and off with both character and class every day. Mackie has put SJ on her back since freshman year, playing harder, smarter and growing not only for herself, but allowing her teammates to follow her example so they may grow as well. We cannot stay as a highly regarded program in the State without Mackie Caouette.”

The best part, according to Babineau, is that Caouette doesn’t fully appreciate the impact she has on the program and her teammates.

“Her best trait she has is being so humble about her accomplishments and accolades,” Babineau said “Not one to boast or brag, she just thrives on knowing she has to improve each day because there is someone else trying to outwork her.”

CT Lightning coach Kas Hoag has watched Caouette grow into exactly the type of player every program covets.

“Mackie just makes everybody around her so much better,” Hoag said. “That kind of leadership is really rare at this age. I’m so excited for her to go to Hofstra.”

Caouette’s leadership was tested immediately when she arrived at perennial powerhouse St. Joseph.

She stepped into the lineup as a freshman, joining one of Connecticut’s most tradition-rich programs. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, she embraced the challenge.

“I went into St. Joe’s not knowing if I was going to start or anything like that,” Caouette said. “I was really grateful to have the opportunity to go out there and start from day one.

“I was definitely excited for that challenge because you’re playing against some of the best competition in the state in the FCIAC,” she added. “I was really excited to grow into the player that I am now.”

The commitment also represents the payoff for plenty of early mornings.

A native of Wolcott, Caouette makes the daily commute to Trumbull for school, often catching a little extra sleep during the ride before another day balancing academics and softball.

With her college decision behind her, Caouette can now focus on one final season wearing the Cadets uniform.

St. Joseph graduated several key seniors, including standout pitcher Katie Dzialo, who is headed to Prineton, and Olivia Petrocelli, the team’s starting second baseman, leaving new opportunities for younger players to emerge. Caouette believes the pieces are there for another championship run.

“The obvious hope is to win a state championship,” she said. “Katie has graduated and obviously our second baseman has also graduated, so we’ll have some spots to fill. But I truly believe in our younger girls and their abilities. I hope we can all just come together, finish the job and end the season with the ring.”

Hofstra will be waiting.

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