Former Mahopac softball ace Shannon Becker accomplished a lot in her softball career.
In her five seasons on varsity, Becker left her mark on Section 1 softball with her name all over the New York State record book and many school records too.
In high school, she had a 57-21 record with a 0.47 ERA. In 545 1/3 innings pitched, she allowed 37 earned runs, issued 83 walks, and had 1,041 strikeouts. Opponents couldn’t touch her with a .124 batting average, and a .172 on-base percentage. At the plate, she had a .433 batting average, 51 RBI, 104 hits, 31 doubles, four home runs, two triples, a .505 on-base percentage, .629 slugging percentage, and a 1.134 OPS. Becker had six stolen bases. Becker was good in the field. In 119 chances, she had 104 putouts,
12 assists, and only committed three errors for a .975 fielding percentage.
On June 19, 2027, Becker will be inducted into the 2027 class of the New York State Softball Hall of Fame in Herkimer, joining other legends of Section 1 softball.
We recently caught up with Becker, who reflected on her career and induction, as well as what she has been doing.
Congratulations on the state hall of fame.
Becker: Thank you so much. Was not expecting that, but very grateful.
How did you find out?
Becker: I work at Under Armour in sales, so I get a lot of calls from our customers and our partners. I got a random call, so I picked it up and I wasn’t expecting to hear the great news. I thought it was a work call. It caught me by surprise. It made me nostalgic.
When you heard the news, how'd you feel?
Becker: Full transparency, I’ve been pouring into other facets of my life. I recently hung my cleats, and I don’t want to live in that part of my life forever. There’s a lot more to life which I’m experiencing now. Getting a call like that kind of puts it all into perspective and it’s just like icing on the cake. It’s like closing my softball career in such a great way of representing Mahopac where a lot started for me. You get so caught up in your day-to-day life that with this, you get to take a step back and be grateful for what made me into who I am today.
With some distance, what kind of perspective do you have now on everything you went through in high school?
Becker: A lot of gratitude on so many different accounts. For the trials and tribulations, the friendships, for the support I received. I had a great support system. Things weren’t always easy, but it shaped me into being able to handle anything that’s come my way since. I would say gratitude is the word of my journey, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
How much gratitude do you have to your former softball coach Cristina Giansante?
Becker: I can’t put into words how grateful I am to have her. As a coach at the time, then turned mentor and now we became friends, she’s someone in my life I truly value and will always be in my life further than softball. Being able to know that softball was the reason she was put into my life at the time makes me grateful for all that’s come afterward.
When you look back at your five years at Mahopac, what stands out to you the most?
Becker: The thing that sticks with me the most is my support system. Looking back five years ago, obviously I’m not playing softball anymore now, but a lot of that support system I had in that moment is still in my life today. I’m very grateful for the people, the community, the mentors, in which I still have contact with the friendships. I think the people that I met with along the way is the biggest blessing that I have the entire journey.
Something like this gives you a chance to look back to the beginning of your softball career. What do you remember about when you were young and were kicked out of your little league for being too good?
Becker: I’ll never forget it. It was the same field that I played my high school games on. I remember I was throwing the ball hard. They wanted me to move back. The girls were scared. The logistics and the details of it isn’t as important as the takeaways I got from that moment at such a young age. I’m going to do my thing, go against the odds and prove that I’m going to hold myself to the highest standards, live up to my fullest potential. That was something I learned from a very young age. It fired me up in a way. I made so many memories on that field (Mahopac Falls Field) – my first varsity softball game I remember got canceled because the field dimensions weren’t right. That was my first varsity game in eighth-grade and they had to halt the game in the third inning because the field dimensions were wrong and we had to restart the game three days later. I think about that today and I realize that’s hilarious that we had to stop and start my first ever varsity game that I was so excited for. The countless hours I spent training on that field with my family, teammates, and my catchers. The amount of times I hit my brother in the ankle or my dad would catch for me and he would have to take a step out. All the people who coached me on that field, the memories that were made. Taking my dog there running around with my dog. Hitting BP or throwing a bullpen. That place became home. I found myself spending every minute I could there so being able to compete as a high schooler and have some great games there, some great team wins along the way. Being able to pay homage to my childhood and growing up in Mahopac.
When you look back at that time and you think of that little Shannon Becker, if you could tell your younger self anything, what would you tell her?
Becker: Stay true to yourself. Be who you are. Be a star where you are. You can’t control the people around you but be the best that you can in that moment. No matter the opponent no matter the people around you no matter what uncontrollable variable. Be true to who you are. Don’t settle for anything less than something you’re proud of.
How was it competing for Notre Dame?
Becker: It was amazing. I loved every second of it. Talking about how amazing it was to play softball for Mahopac for those five years, playing for another four years at Notre Dame was a great extension of it. Playing against the ACC competition and playing the best of the best, playing on ESPN some of these moments you dream about as a kid. It checked all the boxes I had of making it to a regional, being able to be in the NCAA tournament my freshman and sophomore years. I couldn’t have asked for a better journey between high school ball and college ball.
How much do you want to thank your family for the softball journey you’ve been on?
Becker: I wouldn’t be where I am without my mom (Rhonda), dad (Bob), my brother (Chris), my sister (Kelly) and my other brother Matt. That’s like my support system that I’m so grateful for. I genuinely wouldn’t be there without them. I’ve told this story before but I got into softball because my brother and sister were playing baseball and softball. I’m always the younger sister being dragged along to those tournaments. I’ve always wanted to be like them. They’re the reason I play softball. My mom and my dad made so many sacrifices and countless hours of practice, travel, sticking around and helping me train. For being there for me when things were rough, things were good. My brother Matt would catch for me all the time and would make himself available so I felt like I had the support. I felt like I was so well supported in every facet from my family. I wouldn’t be the player and the person I am today without them. Words can’t describe how thankful I am to have them in my life.
A date that went down in history was May 8, 2019 as the first perfect perfect game in Section 1 and New York State softball history. When you think about that game, what do you remember and when you realize it’s something no one has ever done before and hasn’t since, what goes through your head?
Becker: I honestly viewed that game as any other game, trying to do my part to help our team win. I certainly did not know while the game was happening what I did and I don’t think I realized the magnitude of it all at the time. I still don’t think I truly do. It was really cool to get Mahopac some national attention and draw some heads to the team and the sport as a whole. It was a really cool time and I will never forget some of those great memories made during that year.
You had a unique perspective playing through the pandemic, having your junior season shortened and then playing your senior season during it. What was that experience like?
Becker: It was hard in the moment. After my sophomore season, we had hoped to go further. We had a rough Section 1 semifinals, and we were hungry for more. I felt like we had a great team. The coaches were behind us. We were training in the offseason and then COVID-19 happened and we couldn’t have that underdog mentality. That was hard to deal with because I know my teammates and I and the coaches put in a lot of work in the offseason so all of a sudden before tryouts start we were stripped of that. I felt for the seniors at the time and we didn’t know it would be their last time playing. There was always going to be that ‘what if’; what if we played that season, what if they didn’t cancel the state tournament my senior year. Instead of harping on that, I tend to look at it as being grateful to have been able to play my senior year. I’m going to shout out my catcher Michelle Dellamura who’s still my best friend. All my teammates but specifically the relationship her and I had. Being able to win the section on our home field, the field I played on as a kid, round out the Mahopac softball journey, that’s something I’ll never forget.
Would winning the Section 1 title your senior year be that one memory that down the line you’d tell your grandkids about in the future when you look back your softball career?
Becker: Yes definitely.
Where are you now and what are you up to?
Becker: I’m in Baltimore, Maryland. That’s where the Under Armour headquarters is. I’m working in their team sports division managing a five-state territory for high school and small college accounts. It’s kind of a full circle moment. The Under Armour uniforms I wore at Notre Dame like head to toe every waking hour of the day, now I’m on the other side of it. I’m selling it and being the face of the brand so it was a perfect fit.
Have you had a chance to give back to the younger generation since you’ve graduated?
Becker: That’s something I’ve been doing a lot lately. It’s crazy. I feel like I’m not that far removed but then working with younger girls and just being able to mentor and obviously teach skillsets but I think just being able to teach the mental game and some of the things role models have taught me that go farther than softball. Getting to be that mentor figure for the younger girls has been really awesome. You learn a lot across the journey and you don’t realize it until you have moments like this and take a step back. It doesn’t feel like it was long ago but I guess it was.
If a kid came up to you now and asked you about playing softball, what’s the best advice you’d give that kid to convince them to play the game?
Becker: I truly think softball teaches you so many lessons that nothing else could – no other sport, no other life experiences. Softball is a game of failure and precision. They always say the best of the best fail more than they succeed. It teaches you so much about yourself, about handling failure, coming back from failure. You’re given opportunities and the ability to deliver under pressure. There are just so many special things about softball especially how mental the game is. They say it’s 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. I truly think the skillset is very unique but I think you can be the greatest player of all time and if you don’t have that mental game you are not going to reach your full potential. I think just because of that softball pushes you as a person, as an individual, further than your physical abilities just because there are so many layers to the game. It’s an intricate game. It’s a beautiful game. Pitching is an art. I’ll give a shameless plug to my pitchers. It’s not for everyone. It will make you stronger as a person and will give you opportunities that I honestly think real life can’t replicate.
Twitter: @LoHud_Debbie; @LoHudSoftball
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Mahopac's Shannon Becker reflects back on stellar softball career
