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无毛视频檚 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.
无毛视频淏eing able to get here and be a part of Penn State softball is a great opportunity,无毛视频� said Parshall, who is in the division of Undergraduate Studies but plans on majoring in Health Policy Administration. 无毛视频淣ow that I am here and the season is starting, I can无毛视频檛 wait to play and to be able to say that I play for Penn State.无毛视频�
Parshall无毛视频檚 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.
无毛视频淕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,无毛视频� said Parshall, who is taking 16 credits this semester. 无毛视频淚 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.
无毛视频淎long with the excitement, I do feel somewhat nervous.无毛视频�
It is to be expected, even for a player as talented and hard-working as Parshall.
无毛视频淭his level of competition is something you have to experience to understand, and most importantly, I feel prepared,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淢y coaches and teammates have guided me and made me feel more at home and (more) appreciated than I have ever felt.无毛视频�
Parshall always prided herself on training and being ready for her high school seasons, but she is now experiencing what training is really like.
无毛视频淎fter summer session (of class) and my first semester, I can say that you cannot even compare this level to high school,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淏eing a college athlete isn无毛视频檛 only about the training and practices, it无毛视频檚 everything in between.
无毛视频淲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.无毛视频�
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.
无毛视频淭he staff hasn无毛视频檛 announced (the) starting lineups yet, however, no matter what I will be mentally prepared,无毛视频� said Parshall, who is excited that her parents, Kelly and Debbie, are making the flight down for the weekend. 无毛视频淎 big part about our pitching staff this season is having the ace mentality, and to me, that is knowing my job for this team.
无毛视频淎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.无毛视频�
Parshall continued on potential matchups.
无毛视频淲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,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚 am mentally prepared regardless of who starts because I know what my job is and I need to get the job done.无毛视频�
Crazy stat of the week
When second-ranked Duke defeated St. John无毛视频檚 Saturday, it was the Blue Devils无毛视频� 147th consecutive non-conference win at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last non-ACC team to beat Duke on Coach K Court? St. John无毛视频檚 19 years earlier in February, 2000.
Share college sports news and names!
If you know someone currently playing a sport in college, coaching, or holding another role, email me or tweet me and we will get them mentioned in this column!
Email questions/comments to Bill at powerhousehughes@gmail.com or tweet them to me @BillHughes_III.