Kidd and Jones are not joking around

Two GC&SU softball players were recognized on Feb. 14 as Peach Belt Conference Player and Pitcher of the week for their excellence on the field.

Libby Kidd, right handed pitcher, received the honor for her outstanding pitching; first baseman Heather Jones was honored for her superior play at first with no defensive errors and for batting .700 over four games.

Head softball coach Ginger Miller said she is really proud of all of her players and for two of them to be named to the Peach Belt Players of the Week during the same week is really an honor.

“This is the first time in school history that we’ve had Peach Belt Player and Peach Belt Pitcher of the Week in the same week, so we’re very excited about that,” Miller said. “Heather is our number four hitter. She’s the most consistent hitter we have on the team, so we can really rely on her all the time, and Libby has really thrown well to start off the season. She threw some shutouts right there to begin with. We started out 8-0 and she was a really big part of that. We are hoping that they will continue to really contribute to the team and help us have a really great year.”

Kidd, a sophomore at GCSU, began playing softball at the young age of seven to follow in the steps of her older sisters. She started out playing pee-wee and then at the age of eight she started playing fast-pitch and picked up pitching right away.

Kidd said that during games where she wasn’t on the mound, she usually played outfield. She loves to work on her spins at practice and although the curve ball may be her favorite spin, her screw ball is by far her favorite pitch. Kidd said her least favorite drill at practice is anything dealing with batting, and her least favorite pitch is her drop ball.

Kidd is a history major and would like to become a historical landmark preservationist someday. Although she does not plan on pursuing a softball career after college, she would like to become a pitching instructor for high school girls after she graduates.

“I like working towards goals, and hopefully achieving them,” Kidd said. “I’m shocked that I received this honor, but because of this I’m driven to work harder.”

Jones, a senior, was a member of the GCSU softball team in 2003 when they became the National Runner-Up World Series team. She was also the recipient of the PBC All Conference Award in 2005. She is extremely dedicated to her team and the game, and said she feels that receiving the PBC Award is an excellent honor.

“Being Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week is a good honor, but I don’t believe in individual honors because this is a team sport,” Jones said. “All that matters in the end is the W or the L (win or loss), and an individual doesn’t get the W or L by themselves- the team does.”

Jones was 5-years-old when she began the sport, starting out in t-ball. From there she advanced to machine slow-pitch, then to coaches slow-pitch, players pitching, and then to fast-pitch softball once she reached the eighth grade. She said her brothers were an inspiration for her to play because they were always involved in some sort of athletic activity and Jones always wanted to be doing whatever they were doing at a young age.

Jones is also a back-up catcher for the Bobcats. Her favorite thing at practice is working on her half-swing to full swing drill off the tee. Her least favorite drill at practice are first and third plays, where runners are on first and third and different scenarios are given in game-like situations.

“I know that we need to do it, but it just slows down the pace of practice,” Jones said. “I like practice to be fast-paced.”

Jones is currently doing an internship with the American Red Cross in Milledgeville and expects to graduate with a degree in Community Health this May. After graduating, she would like to pursue her Master’s in health promotions and become a softball graduate assistant.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 3 2006. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry