This year’s edition of Bucks baseball will offer an exciting new twist. Deerfield’s roster will feature its first female player in school history in Janelle Calvet, a 5’6” junior who can play all around the diamond.
Calvet says that when she was younger, there was no softball league for her to join where she lived. She instead opted to go into baseball, where she has remained even as she enters her later high school years. Many girls who play ball and bat sports typically start with baseball or softball at a young age and eventually gravitate to softball exclusively as they get older.
Calvet has decided to break away from that mold.
“Baseball is my passion,” Calvet said. “I have always loved playing this game ever since I was younger. The first thing I want people to notice when they see me on the field is the love and passion I have for the game and how I play it.”
Calvet regularly attends Somerset Academy but has come to play at Deerfield Beach because Somerset does not currently offer a baseball team. For inspiration, Calvet looks to Veronica Alvarez, the current manager of the United States Women’s National Baseball Team and part-time assistant coach in the Oakland Athletics organization.
“It just goes to show that with hard work and dedication, there are many roles a female can have in baseball,” Calvet said.
Considering that the vast majority of Deerfield’s starters from the 2020 season have since graduated or transferred, Calvet has a serious chance to compete for an everyday starting position in head coach Chuck Brown’s lineups.
“Janelle is prepared every day to work hard to improve her already adequate game. She will fill a variety of roles on our team such as pitching and all infield positions. It is a pleasure to work with a respectful, hardworking player like her, and we are happy to have her on our roster,” Brown said.
The competitive right-hander has been throwing bullpens during team practices and taking groundballs on both sides of the infield. She may be a light hitter, but she makes up for it with her athletic ability and versatility.
“I think being a utility player and knowing how to play multiple positions helps me better navigate the game. It helps me to anticipate what the next play might be and how to react to it with no hesitation,” Calvet said.
Calvet has found it incredibly easy to assimilate to the Bucks baseball program and become a valued teammate amongst the other players.
“There is a good connection I have with the other guys here at Deerfield. Everyone accepts me and I love that,” Calvet said.
“There is never a dull moment with Janelle around. She is always making someone laugh or smile,” Bucks sophomore middle infielder Michael Thomas said.
“She works hard day in and day out trying to improve her game while also pushing other teammates to improve and not quit. Janelle has a passion for the game of baseball which is very special. Not many young women are doing what she is doing, therefore she is brave in my eyes,” added Thomas.
Calvet hopes to alter the stigma against girls playing in predominantly male sports, especially among youth leagues.
“I hope to change things in the future, especially pertaining to girls playing baseball. I hope that one day I can show other girls that women do belong in this game,” Calvet said. “I want to prove that girls do have a place through my hard work and dedication while showing how I play and support my team.”
Looking to the future, Calvet says she will pursue playing baseball at the college level and hopes to one day secure a job in the baseball industry.
“I always hope there is a place for me in both. Being a player is not the only position there is in baseball, there are also management, financial, and coaching positions,” Calvet said.
In the meantime, Janelle Calvet will put all of her attention and effort into helping the Bucks win some ball games this season.
She made her first pitching appearance for the Bucks on Feb. 19 against the Monarch Knights. She received zero run support but impressed by limiting the Knights to five runs (four earned) over five innings of work with three strikeouts.
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