The LSU softball team’s 2012 campaign is officially under way, and this season’s success hinges in large part on the talents of the Tigers’ (2-2) experienced pitching staff. In two games this season, junior pitcher Rachele Fico pitched 13 scoreless innings, struck out 13 opponents and allowed a slim .073 batting average en route to earning both of LSU’s wins. While Fico does her work in the circle, there’s more to pitching than meets the eye.
 
1. The ritual
For many athletes, pregame activities are limited to stretching and focusing on the task at hand. Fico and her fellow Tiger pitchers take a different approach.
“Before every game, when the hitters come down to start taking [batting practice], the pitchers usually play Hacky Sack,” Fico said. “It’s something fun that gets our legs going, gets us loose and gets us laughing. We get really goofy during it.”
When play time is over, however, Fico gets focused and begins to prepare for the day’s game.
“After we finish playing, we get into game mode,” Fico said.
 
2. The warm-up
The pre-game bullpen session is a chance to get locked in on the nitty-gritty details of pitching.
“Whenever I’m warming up for a game, I really try and focus every pitch like I’d be approaching it in the game,” Fico said.
The warm-up is a pitcher’s last chance to focalize an aspect of her pitching to promote maximum effectiveness in the game.
Fico said a lot of her bullpen time is dedicated to her pitch location.
“Location is definitely a big key factor for me and a factor into my success,” she said.
3. The motion
LSU coach Beth Torina said Fico’s approach in practice and in the circle is more based on her “feel” for each pitch, rather than a concentration on intricate details of the technique.
“I don’t really focus too much on the little things in my motion when I’m pitching,” Fico said. “I just try to trust what I’ve been working on and trust my body to do the right things.”
Fico said the best time to try to make technique changes is between innings, and not when facing opposing batters.
“If Coach [Torina] sees something, she’ll let me know right after the inning, and I’ll make the adjustment in my next warm-up,” Fico said.
 
4. The match-up
Taking advantage of an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses in the batter’s box is key to a team’s success.
“Coach [Torina] will go over what batters we’ll be facing in the lineup, who to look out for and what some of their strengths might be,” Fico said.
Torina also calls the pitches from the dugout, leaving the pitchers to concentrate on hitting their spots and worrying less about what pitch they should throw.
“[Torina] does most of the thinking for me by calling the pitches,” Fico said. “I just need to do my best to put the pitch in the location that she wants me to.”
 
5. The pitch
The movement on a pitch is equally as important to its effectiveness as the location.
Fico said she throws five pitches — a drop ball, rise ball, curve ball, change-up and screwball — and their frequency varies from day to day.
“It depends who we’re facing and what’s working for me,” Fico said.
Different pitches are achieved by rotating the ball in specific directions at the release point. The tighter the rotation, the more the pitch will move and the more difficult it will be to hit.
Fico’s favorite pitch to throw in big situations is the rise ball, but even its success hinges on other factors.
“It’s definitely a go-to pitch to try and get a strikeout,” she said. “But in order for me to do that, I need to be working ahead in the count with my other pitches.”
 
6. The finish
The work is far from over when the pitcher fires the ball toward home plate.
There’s always a chance the ball could come speeding back at the pitcher, just as fast, or faster, than it was pitched.
Fico said she must have a fast reaction time to be prepared for whatever may happen after the pitch is thrown.
“We’re the closest people on the field to the batter, so we always have to be ready,” she said.
It takes a split-second reaction to pluck a speeding ball out of the air, leaving no time for judgement of any kind.
“You don’t even think about it,” Fico said. “It’s a natural reaction.”
 
 
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Contact Scott Branson at [email protected]