LSU senior center fielder A.J. Andrews walks up to the plate in the leadoff spot, like she has for the past three seasons. As she stretches her back before stepping into the batter’s box, Andrews’ mindset is simple — just do her part.
Andrews has put pressure on herself to carry the Tigers throughout her career, but this season Andrews has relaxed and focused on having fun instead. Her changed mentality has allowed her to step up as the Tigers’ clear leader this season.
“I just really want to do well, so I work hard every single day in order to do so,” Andrews said. “This year, I am trying to play for my team. It’s my last year, so I need to have fun. A lot of years, I put pressure on myself, and that kind of takes the fun away from it.”
Andrews’ different approach has boosted her production at the plate in her senior season.
In her first three seasons, Andrews established herself as a dynamic leadoff hitter. In her career, she has hit .310 and stolen 72 bases.
Despite her success, Andrews has struggled with strikeouts, averaging 30.3 per season. Although she led the Tigers with 37 strikeouts in 2014, Andrews’ new approach has changed her focus from getting hits to reaching first in any way she can, translating into a large bump in her walks this season.
Andrews is second in the Southeastern Conference with 26 walks this season and tied for 15th in the nation with 0.93 walks per game.
“The biggest thing about A.J. right now is that her walks have significantly increased, where in the past she hasn’t necessarily had that many,” said LSU volunteer assistant Kara Dill. “Her strikeouts are down, and her walks are up, which indicates that she is seeing the ball a lot better. So in the future she can do a lot more things, which is pretty cool.”
By increasing her walks, Andrews has become one the most consistent leadoff hitters in the the nation. She leads the SEC and is sixth in the NCAA with a .625 on-base percentage.
Through the Tigers’ first 28 games, Andrews has hit .500 and leads the team and the SEC with seven triples. Andrews’ knack for hitting triples combined with her blazing speed around the bases spells trouble for any opposing defense.
Andrews’ change in perspective this season has helped her teammates focus on the team’s main goal of going to the Women’s College World Series and winning LSU’s first national title.
“The biggest change I’ve seen is in her attitude and her mentality this season,” said LSU coach Beth Torina said. “She was very concerned about her at-bats and what she was doing to produce for the team instead of what she could get the team to do.
“Now, she is understanding that her leadership helps the team perform at a higher level. She’s setting an example of how they all should act. She’s grown a lot as a person in that way.”
Andrews’ leadership is crafted to what most inspires her teammates on a personal level. But the unifying element of her leadership is her focus on positivity.
For sophomore catcher/infielder Sahvanna Jaquish, Andrews’ leadership comes in the form of encouraging words spoken in times of trouble.
For sophomore pitcher Baylee Corbello, Andrews’ focus on motivation hits at unexpected times, creating moments of clarity with simple, uplifting phrases.
Through Andrews’ leadership, the Tigers have embraced the idea of playing for each other and focusing on what they can do for the team.
“She’s hands down our leader,” Torina said. “She’s in such a great spot right now with her mentality. She’s having a lot of selfless at-bats … That goes directly into her leadership of us. The other players witness her doing that, not being selfish and really playing for the team. Then they are able to do the same thing.”
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.