Kirsten Shortridge is One of the Nation’s Elite Softball Performers
For the third time in four years, the LSU softball team’s season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the Arizona desert. Pitcher and outfielder Kirsten Shortridge wants to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
After beating Cal State Fullerton and regional host Arizona State, the Tigers needed only one more win to advance to a 2009 Super Regional. However, the ninth-ranked Sun Devils rebounded to win back-to-back games, ending LSU’s season.
“We had it in the bag and we only needed one more win,” Shortridge said. “I think that’s a feeling that the freshman class from last year as well as the returners from last year will never forget.”
Shortridge, a 2009 First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-American, has spent the offseason improving every facet of her game.
“I’m focusing on improving everything,” she said. “I can always get to a fly ball quicker, I can always make my drop ball drop more, and I can always bunt softer to beat the throw to first base. Every aspect is extremely important to be able to succeed.”
LSU At the Game programs are available on campus three hours prior to game time and online while supplies last.
That attitude and attention to detail is something that Shortridge sees in each of her teammates and coaches as well.
“We always say that inch-by-inch we have to get better,” she said. “For example, we have to get faster. One ground ball can save the entire game and be the difference between winning and losing. Personally, I just want to do my job as a senior and as a leader, and I think the best thing you can do is lead by example and share your experiences.”
One experience that only Shortridge can share is a trip to the Women’s College World Series. As a freshman at Baylor, Shortridge notched 17 wins as a pitcher and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. She also hit the game-winning home run that sent the Bears to the WCWS.
However, she also felt a growing need to move away from Texas, where she grew up. After her sophomore season, she transferred to LSU.
“When I came on my visit, it was a feeling I can’t even describe,” Shortridge said. “I just felt like I belonged the day I set foot on campus. My decision had a lot to do with the pride and camaraderie and just the overall tradition of being a Tiger.”
Shortridge also added that the chance to play in the SEC was an added incentive.
“The Big 12 is an excellent conference, but seeing the turnout of SEC teams in the College World Series is completely different,” she said. “I feel like the best of the best are in the SEC. It has a great reputation. I see a difference in the quality of pitching we face, and overall the teams are just extremely talented.”
However, the Louisiana Sportswriters Association Newcomer of the Year showed no sign of a learning curve last season. Batting in the leadoff position, Shortridge hit an impressive .426, the second-highest batting average in LSU’s program history, and also finished in the SEC’s Top 10 in hits (80) and stolen bases (26).
Shortridge’s impressive play isn’t confined to the batter’s box. As a pitcher, she twice earned victories over Top 10 opponents and put together a 16.2 inning scoreless streak late in the season. When not in the pitching circle, she served as the team’s starting centerfielder.
Elite softball players are referred to as “five-tool players,” but Shortridge’s fielding and pitching combination is so strong that LSU Head Coach Yvette Girouard calls her a six-tool player because she can also pitch.
While some athletes might be unwilling to learn two positions, Shortridge embraced the challenge from the start. The contrast also helps her to stay balanced and understand the position her teammates are in.
“I love being the only one who controls the ball every single pitch,” she said, “but I also love that one chance you get in the outfield to save the game and make an awesome play for the other eight people on the field and the other 12 people in the dugout. Each position is different, but at the same time you’re working for the person next to you and that’s why I love both of them.
“I know that I have a great defense behind me when I’m pitching. When I’m in centerfield, I fight for that pitcher because I know what it’s like to be up there and trust the defense behind you,” she added.
With the fall practice season underway and the start of the 2010 season growing closer every day, Shortridge has her sights set on a return trip to the WCWS to bookend an already successful college career.
“Having been to the World Series, I feel I know about what it takes to get there,” she said. “Our goal as a team is to reach the World Series. I think we have a great chance with the freshman class we have. It’s been far too long since LSU’s been there.”