2015 Softball Season Preview Part One: Pitchers
1/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
While the loss of four time All-American Jaclyn Traina gives Alabama some big shoes to fill in the circle, the Crimson Tide returns a pair of qualified pitchers in senior Leslie Jury and sophomore Sydney Littlejohn while also welcoming freshman Alexis Osorio into the mix. The contrasting styles between the three, says Head Coach Patrick Murphy, will give the staff a tough dynamic for opponents to prepare for.
"I think this year we have such a variety among the three," says Murphy. "They will each complement each other very well if they have to split a game."
Senior Leslie Jury returns as one of five seniors on the team who were freshmen during Alabama's 2012 national title run. Last year, Jury compiled 16 wins over 129.1 innings and was the Saturday starter for the majority of the conference season. Over her three-year career, she owns a 45-17 record and will again will be looked to throw a significant amount of innings in crucial games.
"Leslie can hit 70 miles-per-hour on the radar gun and throws extremely hard," says Murphy. "She's more of an in, out and down kind of pitcher. She can jam a batter inside and then surprise them on the outside corner the next pitch."
While Jury catches batters off-guard with her dominating speed, sophomore Sydney Littlejohn utilizes spin and a devastating knee-buckling curveball that forces more than a few opponents to swing and miss.
"Sydney is almost the exact opposite of Leslie," says Murphy. "She has a ton of spin, throws it in the low 60s and has a really good curveball. She's been working on hitting both sides of the plate with it and has added a few pitches this fall."
Littlejohn burst onto the scene last season as a freshman and pitched in some of the most crucial innings for the Crimson Tide. After seeing only relief duty in conference play, she made her SEC starting debut with an outright SEC championship on the line at Missouri on May 2. After seven innings, Littlejohn stood in the circle victorious as she guided the Tide to a 3-1 victory with the complete-game effort on national television. Twenty days later, she entered in relief in the fifth inning trailing Nebraska, 5-4, in game one of the NCAA Super Regional in Tuscaloosa. Littlejohn ended up throwing her longest career outing, tossing eight innings of shutout ball as the Tide persevered to win in the 12th inning, making it the longest game in Rhoads Stadium history.
"She pitched really well down the stretch for us last year," says Murphy. "She only started one SEC game last year but she's ready for this year."
The new addition to the rotation this season is freshman Alexis Osorio from Riverside, Calif., which is located in one of the most talent-rich softball hotbeds in the country. There, she pitched for the prestigious Corona Angels club that was the runner-up at last season's PGF 18-Gold National Tournament. As a senior at King High School, she helped the team to a Big VIII League co-championship and was named the League MVP and All-Area Pitcher of the Year.
"When I sit behind the plate and watch Alexis Osorio pitch, she's fun to watch," says Murphy. "A lot of people use the expression that a pitcher has a `heavy' drop ball. To me, Alexis has a heavy curve ball and a heavy rise ball. It's hard to explain, but the pitch comes in looking good and by the time you swing and miss, it's already in the catcher's glove. She had a really good fall season. Her teammates really appreciate her. She has a great demeanor on the mound, just like Sydney and Leslie do. We're very fortunate in that regard."
The calm demeanor on the mound expressed by all three pitchers comes from a confidence in the defense behind them.
"All of our pitchers understand the position," says Murphy. "They understand that there are eight people playing with them. They know that if we let the opposing hitter put the ball in play, the defense will make the play behind her.
"It's going to be fun to watch. It's going to be fun to mix and match who goes where."
