The following article contains excerpts from a Feb. 28 interview. Initials indicate the speaker.

Avari and Mikee Morris, the identical freshmen twins playing on Seattle University’s Softball team, have never been separated on the field. Avari, a pitcher, and Mikee, an infielder, come from a lineage of players devoted to the game of softball.

AM: “Softball has always been in our family. Our mom played softball, our dad played baseball, both of their parents played the sport and then our older sister Aubree went to Florida for softball and played for the women’s national team. So, it’s just always been in our family.” 

HM: “Was there a strong familial push, or did you find it on your own that you loved the sport?”

MM: “We started playing when we were 7 years old. I think at first, when we were little, we saw our sisters doing it and we were always watching them. It was like, ‘Oh, this is a game we’re going to end up playing.’”

HM: “Tell me about your positions on the team.”

AM: “I’m a pitcher. I’ve been pitching since I was 10, and our mom was a pitcher too and gave us lessons. I started doing pitching so I could get closer to her because it was her thing, and I wanted it to be my thing with her and we started bonding over that. A lot of people see it as the main position on the field and it’s who everyone looks at. I was an introvert growing up, I was pretty shy my whole life. But, that part of me—I was different when I was pitching. I was ok with having myself be the center of attention.”

MM: “Me and her both used to pitch until I decided I hated pitching and wanted to play shortstop. I remember being told that I was too tall to be a shortstop, because it’s usually more agile players in the middle-infield and taller players in the corners, and I wanted to prove everyone wrong.”

HM: “Avari, you talked about being forced to be the center of attention, do you guys enter a different aura when you perform?”

MM: “For sure.”

AM: “Yeah. I feel more like myself. Honestly, this team has helped me become looser and not put so much pressure on myself. I do go into this different person when I’m playing, which is good. It separates softball from my real life.”

MM: “With shortstop, you’re supposed to be one of the players that captains on the field, and coming here, I realized I didn’t talk enough during play which is something [head] coach [Geoff] Hirai has been on me a lot about. I’m learning to pinpoint people to talk to and make sure we’re all communicating and knowing what we’re going to do each play.” 

HM: “How’s it like communicating with each other on the field?”

MM: “It’s so fun honestly, I love playing behind her. I believe in her when she pitches. We lock eyes on each other and we have this look too where I’m like, ‘You got this, just throw the pitches you want to throw.’”

HM: “Do you guys feel that way with the other players on the team or most especially towards each other because of your closeness?”

AM: “The team is family but, because I’ve played with her my entire life and we’ve never been separated on the softball field, I trust her so much. And even when I throw a bad pitch or something funny happens, she’s always the first person I tell on the field.” 

MM: “With past teams, we’re not all on the same page. Some players didn’t want it as bad as others. But here, everyone does. We push each other and know it’s never personal.”

When asked about their strengths on the field, Avari turned to her sister and listed them for her. She’d said it was Mikee’s adaptability, her knowing when to try something different. “Thanks, man. Thanks,” Mikee said.

HM: “My sister and I are very competitive with each other, is it similar for you two? Do you have higher expectations for yourself when you’re together?”

AM: “I have expectations for her. I’m on her the hardest out of anyone on the team just because I know how good she is and how good she can be. There’s been a few times when I’d get upset and not talk to her because I know she’s better than what she’s showing.”

MM: “Wait, like… I didn’t know this. When?”

HM: “[Laughs] This is a safe space.”

AM: “You know, the one game junior year-”

MM: “Oh, yeah. When you got mad at me and then I hit two home runs, yeah. [Laughs] Having someone in my ear that I know will be honest with me too helps my play for sure.” 

Seattle U Softball has a three-game series at Portland State March 7-8 and will begin their Western Athletic Conference (WAC) season March 15 against Grand Canyon—the team they lost to in last year’s WAC Tournament Championship game.