Typically, the success pitcher Baylee Corbello has had in her freshman campaign at LSU is hard to predict. Leading the team in earned run average, wins, complete games and strikeouts is an impressive feat for any player in their first year.
But take a closer look at Corbello’s career, and her 2014 season begins to make more sense. She’s been in this situation before, and college dominance is just another step in her rise to success.
“You always need the mindset of pitchers having put in more hours than hitters,” Corbello said. “So you need to just trust your preparation, because you worked harder than that batter that’s in front of you.”
Corbello also faced the role of being both a young leader and workhorse when she was at Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles. In her first three seasons at Sam Houston, Corbello was the team’s only pitcher and started every game.
The team had just lost its only pitcher to graduation, and Corbello was forced to start. This task did not phase the freshman. She was coming into the school with most of her teammates from middle school, and she thought of it as a fun opportunity.
As she went through her freshman season, she kept to a single mindset: “Don’t try to be perfect.”
As long as she trusted herself and went into games with a calm psyche, she could take the constant workload.
Corbello became well-known within the state when Sam Houston won consecutive state championships in her final three years. She won the State Tournament Most Outstanding Player in each of those years, and was named Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
Inspiration for Corbello came from her sister, Whitney Corbello, who was also one of her coaches at Sam Houston. Whitney played as a catcher at McNeese State, and her knowledge of pitchers has helped her give guidance through the years.
“Whitney helped me with my spins on my pitches. As a catcher, she has that sort of connection,” Corbello said. “She knew what it took in terms of the right mentality.”
Corbello didn’t have to worry much about school selection, having already committed to LSU before her senior season. One thing she did have to relearn, however, was to quit chasing perfection as she made such a big transition.
The freshman began her career by making history, becoming the fifth pitcher in program history to strike out 10 batters in her first appearance in a 1-0 loss to Minnesota on Feb. 7. The next night, Corbello proved it was no fluke when she pitched a 13-strikeout shutout in a 1-0 victory against Oklahoma State.
Her tremendous freshman season has earned her awards along the way. Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Pitcher of the Week and a finalist position for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s National Freshman of the Year are among the accolades Corbello has received.
Corbello said she is proud of her achievements this season, but knows there are many improvements to make.
“Coming here as a freshman, I was not expecting to get anything nationally,” Corbello said. “It’s a blessing, and I’m just taking things one game at a time from here on out. The season just goes to prove that hard work pays off.”
Corbello’s freshman triumphs come from past success
By Tommy Romanach
April 30, 2014
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