Inspired by older teammates, Presley Chamberlain earns Daily Tribune softball POY honor

CHEBOYGAN – When Presley Chamberlain came onto the varsity softball scene as a freshman in 2023, she made a name for herself immediately.

But as talented as the young Cheboygan star is now, she’s been inspired by a special group of teammates she’s been on the field with since her early days.

Not only did those older players inspire Chamberlain – they motivated her in a huge way.

“I’ve looked up to (the seniors) since little league, and I knew that they were all dedicated people,” Chamberlain said. “Growing up around that, it helped me develop into that kind of player, too.”

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“I worked pretty hard in the offseason, so I kind of expected myself to be pretty good, but I definitely wasn’t expecting to stand out this much or anything close to that,” Chamberlain said.

In only in her second varsity season, Chamberlain put up impressive offensive numbers, hitting .516 with 47 total hits, 15 doubles, five triples, one home run, 45 RBIs and 56 runs scored. Her performance allowed her to capture the Straits Area Conference’s player of the year honor.

As stellar as her offense was, Chamberlain has also taken pride in being a versatile defensive player. Prior to joining the varsity squad, catcher was her main position. But with senior Marley Couture occupying the spot over the last few years, Chamberlain made the move to second base, a position at which she’s excelled since her freshman campaign.

“With Marley (Couture) being the catcher, my coach (Mike LaLonde) told me I would be playing a lot of second base because he didn’t really have a designated second baseman, and I’ve always really liked the infield,” Chamberlain said. “It’s just about staying after (practice) and getting more reps, and that’s what infield is. You’ve got to get all your reps and practice the fundamentals of things to be better.”

In 2025, Chamberlain will likely be back at catcher. But even after one of the best seasons for a Cheboygan player in recent memory, she knows there are always areas upon which to improve as she looks to take the next step.

“I don’t have the strongest arm on the team, so I know I’ve been hitting the gym, working out and throwing, so throwing is definitely one of the most important things I should probably work on because I know I’m going to be moved around a lot next year,” Chamberlain said.

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Chamberlain said she’s excited to lead the Chiefs into the Northern Shores Conference era in 2025. At the same time, she’ll never forget the season she just had with some of the most helpful teammates around.

“It’s going to be hard because this is probably the closest team that I’ve ever played with, and it’s hard to let go of that group of girls," Chamberlain said. "It’s going to be way different with the girls coming up. I’m going to try my best to not necessarily turn them into what we were but try my best to excel just as much as we did this year.”

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com . Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Inspired by older teammates, Presley Chamberlain earns Daily Tribune softball POY honor