Jamie Southern on rivalries and preparing for Canada

Finishing off a great run at Fresno State Jamie joined the U.S. National team last year and has continued to be a powerful force in the pitching staff. We spoke to her as she prepared for her game against Canada and touched on important subjects such as the future of Fresno State softball and why the 'Panthers' wear pink.

You’re pitching your first game against Canada. Are you pretty familiar with that squad from the North?

Yeah. We had a win against them in the qualifier for the Pan Am games back in November so we know themn pretty well. It will be a challenge playing them again.

What’s the key to pitching against Canada?

Keeping them off-balance. Using all my pitches. Showing them a lot of different looks. Making sure that they don’t pick up on any patterns.

Is there a good rivalry with Canada?

I think with every team you have to build those rivalries within yourself. We won the Pan Am games and I’m sure they’ll be coming here for some revenge.

You’re a proud alum of Fresno State. How do you think the Bulldogs will do next year?

I don’t know. They have a great pitcher in Robin Mackin. It’d be great if they could find some other pitchers to take the pressure off of her.

I’ve noticed there’s some friendly rivalries on the team regarding what college the players attended.

There’s a bit of that. But actually there’s more of a rivalry about what under-18 team you played for such as the ‘Bat Busters’ and the ‘Panthers.’ The other day I heard Stacy say “Who in heck would ever wear pink? Oh yeah…that was me!”

Comments

[Richard Toney]

To all or any of you who can help me find pink softballs for my daughter's summer tourney she passed away on jan18th 2008 and our local softball leauge is honoring her with a softball tourney in her name this summer her favorite color was pink,so I thought pink softballs would be perfect to Honor her,just don't know who to get with to help me out except for a USA girls team must know somebody who can help me out.
go USA SOFTBALL sincerly the Toney's

[Richard Toney]

I am looking for any help to find pink softballs for my daughter's memorial tourney this summer maybe put in contact with anone who may know where i can get pink softballs in honor of my daughter's tourney.THis was my daughters favorite color,she played softball until her disease kept her from playing.she passed away on jan 18th 2008 Im not a star or high influence person so if any of you lady's can help me out this would mean alot to our family. GO USA softball maybe we should all start using pink softballs.

[cinda]

i would like to thank jamie for taking a picture after the game with my husband in his company truck. his boss really loves the game of softball and thought it was great to have one of his company trucks in a picture with jamie. thanks again.

[Toni]

As I read the article above in reference to Jamie Southern I instantly thought of my 10year old daughter. She would do anything to get an autograph from Lisa Fernandez, who is her softball idol. She has just finished her first full year in softball in Huntington Beach California.....as you all know starting softball is Southern California at 10 makes her about 5 to 6 years behind the rest of the girls. After her first season she was hooked.....for as long as she could decide what she wanted to be for a profession is was a pediatrician but now she has added being a professional softball player like Lisa Fernandez. She did her famous womans report at school on her and when asked who her favorite athlete was it was Lisa Fernandez. As we watched the USA team beat everyone and she saw Lisa in the stands signing autographs, my daughter has decided we need to go to the next tournament to see if she can get her autograph too. So cudos to all of you softball players for being such great roll models to our little girls.

[Abe Isaak]

My daughter is a freshmen in high school this coming year and when Jamie Southern was in her senior year we went to see her and the dogs play at Bulldog Diamond. They were playing there rivals from UCLA, they did there best and Jamie was beaten by an excellent performance from the Bruins. After the game my daughter wanted to meet Jamie Southern someone she has idolized for the past several years while she was at Fresno State. We waited outside the Fresno State Dugout for almost an hour and she never came out, I told my daughter that she was probably sad about losing this game didn't feel like talking to anybody and that we would come to more games and ask Jamie to sign my daughter ball then, she was disappointed but understood. Then this mountain of a man came by and we started talking and we explained what we waiting for and that we were about to leave. It was then that the mountain of a man told us his name, he was Jamie's father and he was not about to let my daughter leave without that signed ball. He got Jamie on her cell phone and explained the whole thing to her, he then took us over to the bulldog locker room and Jamie came out and explained that she took another way to the locker room that night and she signed my daughter Liz's ball and was the sweetest, kindest young lady I could ever hope to meet. She lived up to the role model that she was and still is to my daughter. Fresno State put her out as the face for FSU Softball and they couldn't have chosen anyone else to do near as good of a job as Ms. Southern has done. I would like to thank her for being such a wonderful role model for my daughter and all the girls fo the central valley. Go Jamie, Go Dogs,and Go USA Softball!!!