After wearing a different pair of boots practically every day on her recruiting trip to Northwestern, sophomore Jessica Smith garnered the nickname “Boots” from her future teammates.
While she has always loved wearing boots, the sophomore pitcher found a pair she did not like.
Smith fractured her leg several weeks before the start of the 2009 season. Doctors put a medical boot on her leg and she was forced to miss the first half of the Wildcats’ season.
After several months of rehab, Smith made her first appearance of the year Saturday against Indiana. While she only faced four batters, Smith showed a glimmer of her true potential, surrendering one hit while inducing two grounders and one pop-fly.
“The injury really came at a time in (Smith’s) development where she was really hitting her stride,” coach Kate Drohan said last Saturday. “What I really like is that she started off today right where she left off, and all that great work that she did over the fall and winter is showing.”
Smith entered NU as one of the most highly touted recruits in the country. But she struggled to adjust to the college game, going 3-5 with a 6.07 ERA last year.
While she appeared in 13 games last year, only three of them were Big Ten games. In her five and one-third innings of work in the conference, Smith gave up 10 earned runs for a 13.12 ERA.
“The Big Ten is a tough league,” Smith said. “And it’s really important to get ahead in the count.”
Today, Smith and the No. 6 Cats (22-7, 8-0 Big Ten) will have a chance to see one of the premier pitchers in the conference and the country. Minnesota senior Briana Hassett leads the nation with 309 strikeouts. In her Big Ten-leading 211 and one-third innings pitched, opposing batters are hitting at only a .163 clip.
But if any team has the tools to counter Hassett, it is NU. Last year, Hassett faced the Cats for nine and two-third innings. NU managed 11 runs and nine hits against her.
This year, the Cats enter the contest leading the Big Ten in batting average (.299), slugging percentage (.554) and on-base percentage (.393).
While the Gophers have proven dangerous in the circle, they are lacking at the plate. Minnesota (20-21, 3-3 Big Ten) enters today’s doubleheader ranked 10th in the Big Ten with a .231 batting average, while also leading the Big Ten in strikeouts. This does not bode well for the Gophers against Cats ace junior Lauren Delaney. Delaney, the Big Ten leader in wins with 21, has worked her way up to second in the conference with 221 strikeouts.
But even with Delaney pitching well, there is no understating the significance of Smith for the Cats. For NU, knowing that Smith is ready if needed is an important confidence booster.
In describing the importance of Smith’s return, senior Erin Dyer put it best.
“I think Jessica Smith coming out there in a Big Ten game was huge for her,” Dyer said. “It was huge for our team to know that she’s there and that we’ve got her now.”
