“Emme” Finnigan from Dot brings courage to the diamond game

If there's one thing that has defined Emmerson “Emme” Finnigan's softball career at Fontbonne Academy or one of her many neighborhood teams, it's a consistently dirty, grass-stained uniform, a testament to her gritty style of play when it comes to running the bases steal or stop to stop them a ground ball.

But it could also be argued that the 17-year-old's legacy is about longevity and resilience. If everything holds true in the final weeks of the season, she will have played in all 86 high school games from start to finish – from freshman year to senior year.

“She literally attacks every single ball,” said Fontbonne head coach Jacqui Losi, who has overseen Finnigan’s development over the past three years. “This girl isn't afraid to get dirty… She practices how she plays – anytime, anywhere.”

17-year-old Emme Finnigan of Dorchester is on track to have played all 86 of her high school softball games from start to finish at Fontbonne Academy – where she served as team captain for two years. Photo by Seth Daniel

That's a sentiment shared by Losi, her Dorchester travel coach Dan Clark, who has seen plenty of players in the neighborhood, but none with the raw competitiveness of Finnigan.

“When the girls ADSL softball program was booming with interest and players, Emme was a standout with top talent,” he said. “She is one of the most competitive players I have ever been around. She goes all out for every ball and always dives for a ball at shortstop. Emme has a flair for the dramatic and provides SportsCenter highlights on the field.”

Finnigan, a three-sport athlete at Fontbonne with a long Dorchester family lineage, said her style of play came from following her older brothers Braedan and Regan around the edges of neighborhood parks until it was her turn to shine. She remembers playing baseball with them almost every day during the summer and regularly “hitting the net” at their home in the St. Brendan area – while her mother, Kim, watched over them and ran a local daycare and preschool in Neponset .

For Finnigan, the diamond is her happy place. “I like to get dirty, I don’t know why,” she said with a laugh in a recent interview. “I like to pitch the best — 100 percent — and dive for the ball at shortstop. I think I’m stronger in the field than I am in hitting, but the fielding, when I make a good play, just always makes me happy.”

Finnigan said she prefers playing in the field, but her hitting — from both sides of the plate — has improved greatly this year, she and her coaches said. Photo courtesy of Fontbonne Academy

When Finnigan started playing co-ed baseball at Savin Hill, where she was often the only girl on the field, she learned to challenge the boys and be tough. At the age of nine, she began playing in ADSL softball and the RBI league – eventually she also played on the Drifters travel team. There, she said her coaches, including Katie Nolan of Dorchester – also a coach at Fontbonne – helped her become the player she is now.

“She has a great ability to keep teams on their toes, whether through her tricks or sheer talent. She’s always seen as a threat to opposing teams,” Nolan said. “Emme is the true definition of a student-athlete, always making sure to put her studies first and working hard to get good grades so she can excel on the field.”

After attending Murphy School for grades K-4 and then Boston Collegiate Charter School for grades 5-8, Finnigan moved on to Fontbonne. As a wide-eyed freshman, she soon found herself on the field with older girls — who she credited with instilling her confidence.

“They helped everyone,” she said. “The juniors and seniors. When freshmen made a mistake, they helped them fix it and weren’t rude.”

This experience has shaped the leader she has become on and off the field. As the team's two-year captain, Finnigan led by example and is the type of player coaches can rely on to focus on other things during practice. Finnigan said she takes the role of “field general” very seriously. Being with teammates is probably her fondest memory.

“People look up to you and it’s a very important role,” she said. “I think team bonding is one of my favorite things. If we win after the games, we go out for ice cream together. It's fun to chat and do such team activities. That’s probably what I enjoyed the most.”

Her mother said watching Emme brought her comfort. “No matter what is going on in life at any given moment, watching her brings me to a place of happiness,” she said. “She just has that natural talent and presence on the field. I will always be her biggest fan.”

Finnigan said it was a great ride and she still can't believe she played every game of her high school career, but admitted she enjoyed every moment. Now she is in the process of deciding on a college and figuring out where she could pursue her softball career. But she often thinks back to that freshman from Dorchester and what she would tell her after four years of high school experience.

“I would tell myself to keep playing with confidence and keep working hard because even if you fail, there will be times when you succeed,” she said. “I would tell myself that you can’t be successful unless you fail a few times.”