What I Thought of the USA National Softball Team

Wow - these ladies are a sight to see to say the least. I'm so glad my family and I went to the park early. The exhibition game started at 7:00, we were there at 5:00. We got to see pre-game batting practice from the opposing dug-out at field level. Balls were routinely flying over the homerun fence which, at UH Softball Stadium, is at 200 feet. The ones that weren't going over were usually line shots to the gaps or off the fence. There were even a handful that went over the big black net that is supposed to keep the tennis courts safe from softballs. This net is probably about 100 feet high and is behind the 200 foot homerun fence. I was worried someone in the tennis courts beyond that was going to get a concussion.

Things that stood out to me as I watched:

• I didn't see any players swing and miss during pre-game batting practice
• They all swing with what my husband calls "bad intentions"
• Even Cat Osterman brought in a bucket of balls from the outfield when the pitcher needed a refill (why do younger players think they are above such things?)
• These ladies are heads and shoulders above the DI players that were there as far as physical fitness is concerned
• Some of them look slimer in person vs on TV as expected, but others looked less skinny than on TV (in a good way)

Another thing I noticed while at the game was that, no matter what, the fans love Jennie Finch. It doesn't matter that she just came off of maternity leave and probably doesn't feel like she's on top of her game. It doen't matter that she's not the ace of the pitching staff. It doesn't matter that she didn't start the game or that she dropped a ball at first (it wasn't the best throw, but handlable). When she came up to bat, you saw a good portion of the crowd get up off the bleachers and move toward the field to take pictures of her. That's when all the cameras came out in full force. In her very first at bat, she gave the crowd what they wanted to see - a long shot over the fence!

It's such an awesome opportunity for the young ladies here to see these women in action. To know that there is a higher level they can reach for and work toward. I'm looking forward to seeing them once more tomorrow night. Of course, the game will probably be another run away, but that's okay. On Tuesday they played 9 innings, shut out the other team, and scored 15 or 16 runs. I'm expecting more of the same, but it's still going to be fun to watch!