Posted 4/20/06
UW-Platteville's Patty Meoska is a sophomore softball catcher and a River Ridge graduate. The Pioneers play their final home game Thursday, April 20, vs. UW-Oshkosh at 3 p.m. There is no admission cost.
How is the season going for you?
"It's going really well. We started off playing well in Florida, and when we came back here, we didn't quite have the warm weather so we couldn't start outside right away. We're getting better, and you can definitely see the improvements from the whole team. I think we're really going to do well the rest of the way. We're coming on strong."
What kind of goals do you have for the rest of the year? You are in the middle of the conference race, so do you shoot to win the WIAC tournament?
"We're definitely playing for the conference tournament. We want to finish on top, obviously. We're setting our goals high and want to go to nationals, too. I already have circled the dates. We're really pushing ourselves to get there. We feel we have a great team, and we want to set our goals as high as we can."
You start every other game at catcher. How is your individual game coming along?
"Ashley (Strnad) and I split the games in a doubleheader, which is good. I have individual goals as a catcher, like no passed balls and hitting the ball well."
What brought you to UW-Platteville?
"I looked at other places, too, with great softball programs. Platteville has a great program, too, but criminal justice is going to be my career. I had to pick a school with a great criminal justice program, and that was the deciding factor. Softball had to come second. I'm really glad and have no regrets. I love Platteville and love the program. I'm so glad I'm here."
What would you like to do with your criminal justice major?
"I want to be a cop eventually. I'm also looking at probation and parole. I have a summer job at Wyalusing Academy in Prairie du Chien, working in juvenile delinquency. It will be interesting to see how those kids treat me. I'm excited about that. I'm really pumped to get out there and start. I hear stories in class from professors who have worked in the field, and I'm excited to get out there and do it."
So you'll still be in the area. Is it nice to be close enough to have family come to the games?
"It is nice. I love having my family come to games for the support. Even if we're not winning, it is nice to have that support. They try to get to road games, too. They came to Florida with me. Being kind of a hometown player, a lot of people know where I'm from if I say I'm from Bloomington. It's better than being 300 miles away where nobody knows it."
Interview by SID Paul Erickson