Fastest High School Pitcher in NC

No argument with this

My daughter attended Cheri Kempf's (owner of club K) college pitching camp last summer. One of the first things Cheri talked about was the fact that most college pitchers don't throw enough fast balls. You hit the key in that you need to be able to throw your breaking stuff in low 60's. Fact is very few girls can despite what their daddies might claim. Typically, my daughter will throw the fastball @ 63-65, curve and drop at 62 and her change (which is really an off-speed drop) at around 50.

I will say most people consider her a pretty good college pitcher (not an Osterman or Tincher but pretty darn good). Currently she has the 27th lowest ERA in NCAA D1 for a team that has played a pretty decent schedule. She has averaged one strikeout per inning throughout her career. She throws tons of fastballs. However, she throws a very "heavy" fastball with a 12-6 spin not the "light" bullet spin fastball that many girls throw. This makes a HUGE difference. In fact, she NEVER surrendered a HR in HS or TB.

 

CONGRATULATONS

 

Thanks

Like most girls who achieve success at this level she's been fortunate to have had a lot help and encouragement from a some people in NC and has dedicated her life since age 10 to softball.

Her team went to west coast to play in February. Our kids can play with any of the kids out there. I think some of the college coaches are beginning to realize this!

 

When you are a D! level pitcher it is a given that unless you are throwing in the mid to upper seventies you will have to have at least two other pitches and I mean pitches that will sit you down.
This is one reason that in the last couple years the change-up has become so effective, but I see the rise ball being thrown less, this does not mean that it is ineffective, just the time to throw it is has changed, (remember a few years ago, you would see a rise at least one time per batter)

I have a D1 coach who is a friend, and we talk pitching several times a year, and I have asked her several times what she looks for in a pitcher she is recruiting, and her general priorities are, first throwing in the mid sixties, being able to hit her spots and having three pitches, the mid-sixties is the range that balls move the most in, so needless to say, most D! coaches are not going to look at a pitcher unless she throw in the mid-sixtie.

PS: Monica Abbott change up was thrown in the high 50's and low 60's

 

I Want Argue With Your DD's Stats But---

I've been around for awhile also,and you are one of the first guys that I've ever heard promoting fastballs in collegiate play, most college coaches that I've encountered encourage more movement and variable speed pitches to throw off batter's timing...But it seems to work for your DD's style...If it works don't fix it !!!

Guru

 

WHO ????

Who throws in the mid to upper 70's??.....dang I wish she was my DD---LOL------Jennie Fench throws tops low 70's, I think !!! In this case I say throw fastballs, nobody will catch up with mid to upper 70's !!!

Except maybe this kid !!!

Guru

 

Thought the thread was high school pitchers. Huge difference in what it takes to be a top level college pitcher and a high school pitcher. I agree if a high school girl can throw mid 60s ( and very very few can) that she will do ok with a fastball. If they throw like most good high school girls really do 56-59 you better have some movement on it or almost any team can hit it. As dukedog said there is a big difference between a 6/12 fastball and a flat fastball. The 6/12 is really more of a fast drop where as the flat fastball is more of a good batting practice pitch.

 

Mid to upper 70's?

I know of no woman on earth that has ever thrown this hard! Abbott may rarely hit 70 but is typically in the high 60's. Ueno (Japanese olympic team) can hit low 70's but mid 70's . . . no. Low to mid 60's is about the standard. I sat with UNC's 'radar guy' (those of you who attend UNC games know him) when my daughter's team played UNC. The top speeds that day were Daniel Spaulding 63 mph; Lisa Norris 65 mph, my daughter 66 mph, our other pitcher 63 mph. These were some pretty darn good pitchers!

I've seen a number of kids who were said to throw 70 in HS/TB but, amazingly, slowed down to the low to mid 60's in college. It may be time to calibrate some guns!

 

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Guru

 

Key is location and spin

You've got to throw them where they can't hit them (all batters have holes in their swing, most commonly inside third at the knees) and have a 12/6 spin. The latter is important. Her fastball is close to what some would call 'peal drop' it's just thrown harder and with no conscious effort to peal. As with all pitches you cannot make a location error. In college you pay dearly for the smallest mistake.