ADAMS TWP — Meghan Grill prides herself on discipline.

When she's at the plate for the North Catholic softball team, the Adams Township native focuses on putting the ball in play.

“Good things happen when you make contact,” said Grill, a senior middle infielder. “Nothing good happens when you strike out. You're giving them an easy out.”

Grill fanned just seven times last spring while batting .295 with three home runs, five doubles and 19 RBI in the middle of the Trojanettes lineup.

She takes just as much pride in her glove-work, making just seven errors at the difficult position of shortstop.

“I love both hitting and fielding,” Grill said. “I focus on both of those things. I have a pretty strong arm and that's definitely one of my strengths. At the plate, I'm a line-drive hitter. I get extra-base hits.”

Grill turned her standout junior season into a spot at Indiana (Pa.) University.

She is very familiar with that school. Her father, Matt, was a center fielder for the baseball team there in the early 1990s.

When it came time to pick a school to continue her education and softball career, IUP was the natural first choice.

“I'm honestly so excited,” Grill said. “IUP felt like home. I loved the coach and I loved the team.”

Matt also loved the choice.

“Sometimes I think he's more excited than I am,” Grill said, laughing.

Her dad has been a big part of her softball development, from giving her batting tips to supporting her at games.

“He's been my hitting coach, my everything,” Grill said. “He's really pushed me.”

When it comes to the mental side of the game, though, Grill has developed her own system.

Before each game, she embarks on a visualization routine. She imagines herself at the plate or in the field and plays out the game in her head.

With a positive outcome.

“It sounds silly, but I'm big into visualization,” Grill said. “I imagine myself getting a hit or making a good play in the field.”

Grill wasn't always so good at it.

There was a time when she struggled between the ears.

“Honestly, it's always been more of a mental game for me,” Grill said. “Softball is so much mental. You can always improve your skills in practice, but I had trouble with the mental part until I worked at it.”

Grill will also have to adjust to a new challenge at the next level.

IUP is installing an turf infield. Grill has played on both an artificial and dirt diamond and prefers the natural surface.

“I think you get better hops on dirt,” Grill said. “On turf, you sometimes get different hops and the ball tends to skid faster. You get more real hops on dirt than you do on turf.”

Grill has an advantage, however.

She practices on the turf infield at No Offseason Sports in nearby Valencia to get more accustomed to the surface.

Grill is hoping her hard work produces a memorable senior season at North Catholic this spring.

The Trojanettes moved up from Class 2A to 3A last season and went 7-10.

Grill, though, thought the team was better for it.

“We saw better pitching and better teams and we got so much better,” she said. “We have a very young team — only four upperclassmen — but I think we can have a great season this year.”