High school softball player chases man stealing backpacks from bus, Missouri team says

While a Missouri high school softball team was in between games at a tournament, senior Katie Schweizer was out in the parking lot with her dad.

That location put the Eureka High player in a position perfect for spotting a potential crime.

As the senior outfielder was cooling off in a car, she eyed a man step onto a competing team’s bus while that team was on the field, KTVI reported.

Shortly after, she caught the “would-be robber” leaving the bus with stolen backpacks, Rockwood School District posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

“While Katie’s father was on the phone with the police, Katie chased the man down and confronted him,” her district said.

“That’s not yours,” she yelled, according to KTVI.

After yelling at the man, he dropped what he was carrying and started running, the Eureka High School softball program tweeted.

“Needless to say she not only plays (softball), she fights crime,” her team said, adding that she saved a Vera Bradley designer bag.

“So Katie has a new nickname now: the Sheriff,” Rockwood School District said.

Team coach Mark Mosley told KTVI that Schweizer is “an absolutely great teammate,” but he warned her to “never ever chase down an adult man again.”

Sullivan Police Lieutenant Patrick Johnson confirmed to McClatchy News that there are two potential suspects connected to the incident, though no arrests have been made.

In addition to preventing a crime, Schweizer’s team of Wildcats won the “Back to School Softball Classic” tournament in Sullivan.

This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 10:27 AM.