Chelsea Thomas - Change v.Fastball?

[Greenmonsters]

Was watching Chelsea Thomas from Mizzou beat Washington and they're saying she only has 3 pitches - change, drop, and rise. However, ESPN put up a stat breakdown box in the middle of the 5th or 6th inning - approx. 80 pitches - 39 FASTBALLs, 23 rises, 18 drops. I don't think I saw any FBs, but her CU certainly was a killer. Anybody see any FBs?

Bonus question - is there another more effective 3 pitch combo? I'm inclined to think not!

 

[absdad]

Was watching Chelsea Thomas from Mizzou beat Washington and they're saying she only has 3 pitches - change, drop, and rise. However, ESPN put up a stat breakdown box in the middle of the 5th or 6th inning - approx. 80 pitches - 39 FASTBALLs, 23 rises, 18 drops. I don't think I saw any FBs, but her CU certainly was a killer. Anybody see any FBs?

Bonus question - is there another more effective 3 pitch combo? I'm inclined to think not!

I'm a huge MU fan, but I gotta say Kelani Ricketts of OU, and Jolene Henderson are some mighty fine pitchers too. But yeah, Chelsea flat puts it out there.

 

[LAdad]

I don't think I saw any FBs, but her CU certainly was a killer. Anybody see any FBs?

There were plenty of pitches that were neither high, nor low, nor slow, so I'd say fastball. But some of the commentary, including from the Mizzou coach, suggested they were "dropballs that missed high".

What really surprised me was that the Washington pitcher, Kaitlin Inglesby, wasn't called for any illegal pitches. It looked to me that many times she stepped completely outside the pitching lane.

 

[obbay]

Bonus question - is there another more effective 3 pitch combo?

maybe not more effective but maybe as effective was Jenna Caira's (Syracuse) FB, CU and drop. I remember her pitching for Team Canada and her Changeup was (and still is) close to 20 mph slower than her FB. They say she has a rise but rarely uses it.

 

[redhotcoach]

Two years ago she only basically had one pitch. I have heard stories that at other university camps all eyes were on her because the ball sounded like a cannon hitting the catchers mitt. One particular story is they then asked all the girls to throw a curve or screw, and repeated the direction to her because there was no movement, and after that they didn't look at her again. Earlywine said "we can teach different pitches, we can't teach 73mph!"
You

 

[Jeff_H]

Was watching Chelsea Thomas from Mizzou beat Washington and they're saying she only has 3 pitches - change, drop, and rise. However, ESPN put up a stat breakdown box in the middle of the 5th or 6th inning - approx. 80 pitches - 39 FASTBALLs, 23 rises, 18 drops. I don't think I saw any FBs, but her CU certainly was a killer. Anybody see any FBs?

Bonus question - is there another more effective 3 pitch combo? I'm inclined to think not!

Don't you know there are no fastballs thrown after 14U

 

[softballphreak]

I saw a bad plate umpire.

 

[Texarkana]

One of the girls on my team has a sister going to Arkansas next year to pitch and won a state championship in HS this year. We were talking to her at a bake sale the other day, and I asked her if she ever threw a fastball anymore. She said "not much".

 

[rowdy]

When you throw over 70mph and you have a good change up you really could get by with two pitches. She is a great pitcher and has really grown since coming to Mizzou. The would have to be a favorite in OKC this week.