Story by Adam Redfern
Staff writer
Freshman pitcher Hannah James has been a refreshing addition to the Racers’ softball team, as Murray State’s ace in the circle is leading the team in pitching appearances, strikeouts and ERA.
The Murray State softball team placed ninth in the OVC last year, and with their best pitcher Haven Campbell leaving the rotation the Racers were in search of someone who’d be able to replace her production. Head Coach Kara Amundson has found a quality replacement in James who has the potential to generate similar numbers.
Amundson has high praise for her freshman pitcher and excited for her career as a Racer.
“She has been great,” Amundson said. “When we were recruiting her we saw something pretty big from her. She is a different kind of a pitcher than I think a lot of teams recruit. Hannah is a much more skill and finesse type of pitcher. To be good at that shows that there is some sort of work effort there. I think for us, we knew she’d be able to contribute right away if it was something she could wrap her head around.”
In her first season with the Racers, James faced some tough opposition when she took on the University of Alabama, University of Kentucky and the University of Maryland. James has maintained a 3.05 ERA on the season despite the tough competition.
James grew up watching some of the teams she had to face in recent games, and she has been grateful for the opportunity.
“Whenever I found out I was pitching those games [Alabama and Kentucky] I was a little nervous,” James said. “Being from Kentucky, I have been watching them since I was young, and I was facing the batters that I was watching on TV a couple years ago. It was a great experience to play girls at that level.”
James held her own against these formidable foes. She only allowed two hits and zero runs against Butler, tossed a five-hit, three-run outing against Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and a five-hit, one-run game against Ball State.
Amundson has trusted James with handling the majority of pitching for the Racers, and James is appreciative of the belief her team has in her.
“It really means a lot to me to be trusted on the mound,” James said. “Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t expect to have as big as a role as I have been given, but it really means a lot.”
Amundson has been impressed by James’ confidence so far this season, and attributes that trait as one of the main reasons for her bearing the majority of the pitching load.
“She has an air about her that she is confident in her abilities,” Amundson said. “She trusts her pitches and it shows. Her and our catcher have a great relationship in terms of trusting each other, and that is huge in the softball world.”
James is only a freshman, but her coaches and staff trust her and are confident in her ability to become a great pitcher for the Racers for years to come.
