Bridgette Sappington is halfway through her sophomore season and continues to be Rockhurst’s ace of the pitching rotation.  She has a career record of 27-22 and off to a hot start in 2015 at 11-5.  She got a chance to sit down and talk about her freshman year and what she learned and improved on.

What drove your decision to come to Rockhurst?

Sappington: I wanted to be a part of a program that was going to challenge me in all aspects of life, not just academically and athletically, and I knew that Rockhurst would provide me with that. Originally, I wanted to attend a college that was far away from home but the moment I stepped on our campus I knew that this is where God intended for me to be. Also, as I got older I realized that I did not want to miss my two little brothers growing up so it was important to me that Rockhurst was only 35 miles from home. It has been such a blessing to get to attend all of their sporting events and support them throughout all of their endeavors, just as my three older siblings did and still do for me!

You had a very successful freshman season even though your record didn’t show it.  What did you take away from your freshman year?

Sappington: Freshman year was a huge learning experience for me. The most important thing I took away from it is that it doesn’t matter how young/old or experienced/inexperienced you are, you can always get better but it is up to you to make yourself and your team better. It’s all about how bad you want it and finding what it’s going to take to be the best possible person and teammate you can be.

You have pitched in 327 career innings.  Does that take a toll on your body?

Sappington: Yes, I am currently going through sciatica and lower back problems but up until a month ago, my body felt great. I threw a lot of innings last year but Coach Struve always made sure that my body was taken care of and that my pitching mechanics were correct. I am definitely looking forward to feeling 100% again!

The Hawks are currently 15-11 overall and have a 6-6 GLVC record. What are the expectations as we continue forward through the 2015 campaign?

Sappington: We are looking forward to making it to the conference tournament again and finishing our season above .500, but most importantly growing as a team since we are so young. We have no seniors and 11 underclassmen so we are constantly learning and working on perfecting the little things. Because we have no seniors on the team, we will have everyone back next year and I am ecstatic to see what we will bring to the table next year.

Rockhurst is just over the mid-point of the season.  So far you have given up 27 earned runs.  At this point last year, you gave up 47 earned runs.  What do you contribute your success to?

Sappington: There is so much more to pitching than just pitching and I learned that throughout the 220 innings I pitched last year. Along with my older brother, my pitching coach from travel softball, Steve Shifflett, has made the biggest impact on my life as a pitcher and as an individual. I never knew how important the mental side of pitching was until I found myself as a freshman starting pitcher with really only 1 pitch to throw and finding success with establishing hitters and not just throwing a pitch to pitch it.

Who was your sports idol growing up?

Sappington: Growing up, my sports idols were definitely my older brother, Mark, and younger brother, James. With all five of my siblings being homeschooled until high school, that made it extremely easy to find time to go outside and play catch or kick a ball around and I am so blessed to have been able to surround myself with such motivated and driven people. The work ethic that I saw from my brothers drove and still drive me to work as hard as I can every single day.

What is your favorite softball memory?

Sappington: My favorite softball memory is unquestionably the 13 inning game against Indy in conference last year. It was such a fun experience to get to pitch in front of so many people as a freshman and play with such a great and supportive team. I will never forget it!

What are your goals for college softball and beyond?

Sappington: My goals for college softball are obviously to win games and find success but most importantly to continue to make amazing memories with my teammates. I have learned that softball is so much more than a game and having a team as your second family is something that I will never take for granted. College softball and just college in general goes by so fast and I could not imagine going through it all without the support of a team. Beyond college softball, there is not much opportunity for playing since softball is no longer in the Olympics, but I would definitely love to give pitching lessons and eventually coach.

Your brother Mark played at Rockhurst from ’09-12′ before he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels as a right-handed pitcher.  He has topped out at 98 mph.  It seems like power pitching runs in the family.

Sappington: We both thank our father for that one! Growing up, my dad was the first person to ask us if we wanted to play catch and he was always a supportive coach. We knew that the minute he came home from work he would love to catch us or just toss the ball around and it was in our back yard that both my brother and I really became pitchers. To this day, I can still hear my dad at my games, and I know it’s the same for Mark, telling me to keep my eye on the target and to follow through. Whether he knows what he’s talking about or not, he is someone I know I can always count on for taunting the umpires on a missed strike or just supporting me in general.

How has he influenced your athletic/softball career?

Sappington: Mark’s attitude and love for the game has influenced me the most. We both struggle with walking batters. In fact, we probably hold the record for most walks given up at Rockhurst haha. But last year at one of his minor league games at least 60 people from Rockhurst, our neighbors, and family came out to watch him and I think he walked like 8 people in one inning. As a pitcher there is nothing more frustrating than not finding control so I know he was frustrated beyond belief. Yet, when we saw him after the game he was the happiest person and you never would have guessed that he didn’t perform his best. He is the best example of someone who takes advantage of every minute in the day to make not only himself better but the people around him by exuding love and positivity in all that he does.

Have you ever tried playing burnout with him?

Sappington: We sure have! When he came home for a couple months at the end of last year we played out on the turf and we established that I throw harder. Just don’t ask him about it because he’s still pretty bitter and hasn’t accepted it yet.