It’s a breezy sun-glazed day at the Cyclone Athletic Complex. The batting cages are starting to empty, the pitchers are finishing their exercises and Drake music is blaring in the background.

The softball team has just concluded practice, and everyone is starting to pack up and leave. That is, everyone but senior-standout Brittany Gomez, who remains on the dirt, fielding ground balls.  

Every practice, Gomez, a center fielder turned shortstop, is always working on something in the field. Whether she’s practicing her throws from a stand-still position, working on transferring the ball from her mitt to her throwing hand or just simply fielding grounders, Gomez always wants to be better.

Making the shift from the outfield to one of the most integral infield position on the diamond is difficult, especially since Gomez has played nothing but the outfield since arriving at Iowa State.

Gomez is seeing far more balls hit her way at shortstop than she ever did in center field, having to react much faster and throw harder in a more compact motion. It’s a lot to handle, and Gomez has had her struggles.

“The hardest thing for me has been making as many errors as I have been,” Gomez said. “When I was in center, I would maybe get five balls in 10 games, but in the infield I get five balls in one game.”

The volume of plays the senior has had to make is much more than she was accustomed to in the outfield, which has resulted in a learning curve. Gomez’s fielding percentage is 84.4 percent, the worst on the team, and she currently leads the team with 11 errors. 

Gomez also leads all ISU infielders in putouts with 45 and is second in fielding assists with 39, so it has not all been bad. Plus, with everything else Gomez is doing with the bat, currently slashing a .383/.383/.408 with 20 runs scored and 16 stolen bases, she more than makes up for the errors.

However, in Gomez’s mind, that is not an excuse, so she puts in the extra work every practice, working on the mechanics and mental side of the position. And she always tries to stay positive after she makes a mistake.

“I think being in control of when I mess up is the hardest challenge for me” Gomez said. “But I feel a lot better now than I did at the beginning of the year, so that’s progress.”