It is said that a team is like a family. Players travel together, practice together and often eat together. Such consistent interaction between the players allow them to forge a bond which is similar to familial ties.
However, with freshmen Cat Guidry and Christina Guidry, the bonds they share are more than the standard teammate camaraderie. The Guidrys, as their last name suggests, are sisters. Twins, to be exact. They also happen to both play softball for the UC Davis softball team.
The Guidry sisters have been a package deal for quite awhile. They started playing softball and other sports together at a young age. Even when they decided to focus on softball, the twins stuck together.
“We started tee ball when we were five or six,” Christina said. “From there we played rec-ball for a few years, then we started travel ball when we were 10 and then played ‘till we were 17.”
Christina’s counterpart agreed that playing different sports was not an option, and that softball came naturally to them.
“We played multiple sports, but at one point we had to figure out what sport we wanted to focus on,” Cat said. “Having played all the sports together, it just kind of worked out that we both wanted to play softball.”
Upon finishing high school, the twins seemed to be on a path to separate schools and separate careers. Cat, who hit a blistering .507 her senior year, and Christina, who hit an impressive .414 her senior year, were recruited by different schools.
However, one school was able to provide them the opportunity to play Division 1 softball together: UC Davis.
“Initially we were recruited by different schools. UC Davis saw us at a showcase,” Christina said. “I think that initially they were recruiting me, but they found out that I had a sister and they started getting in contact with the both of us. We both loved the school, and going to school together would be a bonus.”
As the girls have tried to find their place on the team and grow accustomed to the college life, they have had to overcome some obstacles. However, through the struggles, Cat and Christina have come out stronger than ever. Cat is hitting .346 this season and is getting more and more experience. Christina has started quite a few games this year and has become a sure-handed third baseman.
To those who may be surprised at the impact two freshmen might have on a team, it helps to know that the Guidry’s are related to some pretty serious athletes.
The Guidry twins are cousins with New York Yankees ace pitcher, CC Sabathia. Sabathia gave Cat and Christina the unique experience of being able to gather advice from a fantastic athlete, who also happens to be a relative.
“Baseball runs in the family,” said Cat. “When we were little we would kind of get tips from [Sabathia] and all the others in our family that played baseball. We also have a cousin that pitches at USC who would teach us things.”
Twins who compete at a high level together are a rarity in sports. Yet, both of the Guidry sisters are not only on the UC Davis softball team, but also integral members of the team. As freshmen, they have been given the unique opportunity of getting quite a bit of starting experience.
With Cat having started eight of the 18 games played and Christina having played in 31 games and starting 24, both of the sisters have had quite a bit of game time. What is more impressive is that the two have started to get more playing time as the season has gone on. This should only help two extremely talented freshmen improve and become dominant starters next year and the years to come.
“Starting this year, I did not know what my role would be. I would want to be more consistent and have a more constant role at third base,” Christina said. “Also we want to win a Big West Title. We definitely want that before we leave.”
The sisters’ futures are definitely looking bright. With the valuable playing time they have received this year, they will be experienced and ready for handling a larger workload next year and beyond. If the experience and work pays off with a starting role, a conference title or two will be sure to follow.
KENNETH LING can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
