Fast Pitches: DuPont's leadership, selflessness help strength Beverly

Apr. 29—Whenever the subject of a true team player comes up, a picture of Beverly High senior Jamie DuPont would be fitting — because she never hesitates to do whatever she can for her team.

DuPont was a starter behind the plate for the Panthers as a freshman, stepping into the role to handle the tough job of catching hard throwing Rona Scott. Her sophomore year was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, and when head coach Megan Sudak asked her to switch to a totally new position to help the Orange-and-Black, she happily took over at shortstop.

Quickly adapting to her new defensive post, DuPont set aside personal goals in the shortened season a year ago. Now a senior captain and leader, DuPont is a joy to watch in the field as she makes spectacular plays seem routine.

In a recent victory over Saugus, DuPont had an incredible diving stop on a hard-hit ball that appeared to be going up the middle for extra bases ... only for her to make the play and throw the runner out. Not only did her teammates cheer after the play, but Saugus coach Stephen Almquist recognized that great play and offered congratulations.

"Shortstop isn't an easy position to learn, but coach Sudak told me I had the athleticism to do the job, and I took the move in stride," said DuPont. "It did take me a while but I worked hard, and finally I'm confident there.

"It was really nice when the opposing coach ran out and gave me a fist bump; I wasn't expecting that," added DuPont. "I like shortstop because I can be a leader on the field, get others in the right position, and I'm always in the middle of the action."

She's also a tablesetter offensively, batting leadoff for the Panthers and making things happen on the basepaths with her speed and savvy. She already has blasted one homer, too.

What DuPont — Beverly's nominee for this year's Salem News Student-Athlete of the Year — means to the team is the epitome of what every coach would like to see from a player, said Sudak.

"Honestly, I don't know if I even have enough words to do her justice and what she means to our program," said Sudak, a former Panther great herself. "It's been so gratifying to watch how improved Jamie is and the plays she's now making this year. My only wish is having another year with her, because she's a special kid. High school athletes like her do not come around often. She's 100 percent about contributing to her high school teams at all times, and that's something so rare nowadays.

"Jamie is the most humble and hungry student-athlete I've ever coached in the past 21 years. Without her on my team ... I don't even want to go down that road. I'm not going to think about that until next year," Sudak added.

Sudak is confident that DuPont would have been a Northeastern Conference all-star (and possibly All-Conference) had she remained at catcher, but she never hesitated to switch to shortstop for the good of the team. Her selflessness made a mark not only on her coach but teammates as well. Fellow senior Lindsey Gannon has taken over behind the plate and has done a fine job, with Beverly off to a 4-2 start this spring.

DuPont is a three-sport captain and all-star in field hockey, ice hockey (where she was co-MVP of the league), and softball. She's committed to the University of New England to study exercise science and continue her ice hockey career. She was also selected to receive one of the Boston Bruins' MIAA Sportsmanship Awards.

"I'm really going to miss field hockey and softball because I've been playing since I was young," she said. "I like to stay busy and have friends in every sport. I used to play soccer, too, but with three different hockey teams and summer softball, all the schedules meshed together.

Sudak takes great pride is everything a Panther athlete should be and found the perfect example in DuPont, knowing someone like her doesn't come along very often while appreciating everything that the senior standout does. — Mya Perron has been sparking Beverly's attack with her power hitting. The junior first baseman, who also plays volleyball and basketball at BHS, led her team to victory over Essex Tech earlier in the week with five RBI on two home run blasts: the first with two on base, and the second a two-run shot.

Perron plays every sport with great energy and intensity. She is one to watch the rest of the season. — It would be hard for Peabody's Abby Bettencourt to top what she did as a freshman last season, when she was the Salem News Player of the Year, but she's off to another terrific start this spring.

Bettencourt leads all hitters in the area with a .720 batting average and is 6-1 in the circle with a 1.80 ERA to go with 54 strikeouts. She's also driven in an area-high 18 runs from her leadoff spot in the lineup. It's no wonder the Tanners are undefeated in the NEC again this season. — One game Friday afternoon is taking place at Kiley Field in Peabody, when the Tanners host a much improved Danvers team. — Fast Pitches, a column on North Shore girls high school softball, appears each Friday during the spring sports season. Contact Jean DePlacido at jmdeplacido@aol.com and follow her on Twitter @JeanDePlacidoSN

Contact Jean DePlacido @JeanDePlacidoSN