Parshall making PSU debut
For those who have known Bailey Parshall since she was a young kid, there was absolutely no doubt that her dream was to play softball for Penn State.
In a few days, the 2018 Belle Vernon Area graduate鈥檚 dream will come true.
Parshall, a freshman, is a lefty pitcher for the Nittany Lions softball team, and they open up play against Kent State Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Fort Myers, Florida.
鈥淏eing able to get here and be a part of Penn State softball is a great opportunity,鈥� said Parshall, who is in the division of Undergraduate Studies but plans on majoring in Health Policy Administration. 鈥淣ow that I am here and the season is starting, I can鈥檛 wait to play and to be able to say that I play for Penn State.鈥�
Parshall鈥檚 mother, Debbie, is a Penn State graduate and it can be said that Parshall has always bled blue and white, considering that she committed to the team five months before throwing her first pitch in high school.
鈥淕rowing up as a kid, you always dream about taking your abilities to the next level and now that I am at my dream school, I can say with confidence that I have found a home,鈥� said Parshall, who is taking 16 credits this semester. 鈥淚 am very excited, not only because this is a new experience for me, but also because I am excited to show who and what Penn State softball is this year.
鈥淎long with the excitement, I do feel somewhat nervous.鈥�
It is to be expected, even for a player as talented and hard-working as Parshall.
鈥淭his level of competition is something you have to experience to understand, and most importantly, I feel prepared,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y coaches and teammates have guided me and made me feel more at home and (more) appreciated than I have ever felt.鈥�
Parshall always prided herself on training and being ready for her high school seasons, but she is now experiencing what training is really like.
鈥淎fter summer session (of class) and my first semester, I can say that you cannot even compare this level to high school,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eing a college athlete isn鈥檛 only about the training and practices, it鈥檚 everything in between.
鈥淲hether that means getting up at 6 a.m. to get my arm stretched out in the training room before practice or staying up until 10 p.m. to get all of your required study hours in, it is a continuous grind every single day.鈥�
Parshall and her teammates are flying to Florida Thursday afternoon, and they still do not know who will be starting.
Despite this, Parshall is ready to do whatever she is called upon to do.
鈥淭he staff hasn鈥檛 announced (the) starting lineups yet, however, no matter what I will be mentally prepared,鈥� said Parshall, who is excited that her parents, Kelly and Debbie, are making the flight down for the weekend. 鈥淎 big part about our pitching staff this season is having the ace mentality, and to me, that is knowing my job for this team.
鈥淎s a lefty, my job is to come into games knowing that being left-handed is an advantage for some hitters and the game of softball has a lot of matchups.鈥�
Parshall continued on potential matchups.
鈥淲hen a lefty pitcher is the best pitcher to throw because of the matchup, it will be my job to come in and get outs,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am mentally prepared regardless of who starts because I know what my job is and I need to get the job done.鈥�
Crazy stat of the week
When second-ranked Duke defeated St. John鈥檚 Saturday, it was the Blue Devils鈥� 147th consecutive non-conference win at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last non-ACC team to beat Duke on Coach K Court? St. John鈥檚 19 years earlier in February, 2000.
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