Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Kelsey Kessler has dominated in the circle this season after being ineligible to play last year.
Kessler is 12-5 and leads the team with a 1.89 ERA and 109 strikeouts.
This incredible season comes after a tough break for Kessler last year, because NCAA rules state that student-athletes who transfer must sit out of competition for one year.
“It was very hard for me as a transfer last year to impact the team in any way because I didn’t have a role,” Kessler said.
It was also hard for co-interim head coach Letty Olivarez to see her pitcher with so much talent and potential to be a bystander.
“She had a hard time watching last year because she always wants the ball, and she always wants to compete, so sitting from an outsider’s perspective was tough,” Olivarez said.
Instead of playing, Kessler was put on radar duty during the games. While she was able to practice with the team, her ineligibility left her without a voice and she couldn't establish a leadership role on her new team with young pitchers.
She said the main way she helped was by sharing her experiences and talking about the differences between Kansas and ASU.
“I’ve always been a person who tries to lead by example on the field, and I try not to speak unless I see something needs to be said,” Kessler said. “I feel like people listen better if I approach things that way instead of constantly filling space with words.”
Dale Ryndak and Breanna Macha, who were freshmen last season, could have used her advice. They were the only two pitchers on the team, and coming into this year, Olivarez worked with them to develop pitches and change motions. With Kessler, the dynamic was different.
“As for pitches, it has all been pretty much the same of what she is use to we are just trying to perfect it and get them moving like she could before,” Olivarez said.
Kessler came into the program with a strong pitching background and solid fundamentals, leaving Olivarez to challenge the pitcher differently.
“I came in with my old pitching coach who was very good and who taught me the fundamentals I need, and Letty has been really valuable in teaching me more of the mental game and keeping me focused,” Kessler said.
The mental game is one of the biggest areas Kessler strives to improve upon. Her pitches, technique and windup have stayed the same since Kansas. However, since coming to ASU, she's worked on learning which pitches are most effective during specific counts and plays.
She said she has a tendency to take pitches off.
“I have been working on being more focused in the game because I am the person that will play down to my opponents sometimes," Kessler said. "I came from a team where if I wanted to pitch every game, I could have."
Kessler’s strong season has given her a key leadership role. She is a player who lets her performance do the talking, and Macha, sophomore right-handed pitcher, said she has benefitted from having Kessler as a teammate and role model.
“I give all the credit to her because I am learning a lot and in these past two years she has helped me with so many aspects of the game,” Macha said.
In two years at Kansas, Kessler recorded a 1.88 ERA with 327 strikeouts. Her previous experience gave her an edge against the other pitchers, and they enticed her to work harder for the momentum she lost with a season off.
“She is definitely a hard worker because she is the one that wants to perfect her pitches and she has shown that she wants the ball and wants to get out there and be the better pitcher,” Olivarez said.
Kessler enjoys the challenge because each pitcher brings a different dynamic. For instance, Kessler said she only wants wins — she doesn't care about how many runs she allows, as long as her team's victorious. Macha, on the other hand, has expressed disappointment in her 3.52 ERA.
“We learn from each other on and off the field, and I think we all have very different personalities that clash at times, but we all work really well together and bring something individual to the game,” Kessler said.
The pressure from her teammates gives each pitcher an edge to keep playing hard to be the number one.
“It is healthy competition because we are all good friends, but on the field, it is the competition that drives us,” Macha said.
Letty believes opposition brings out the best in her pitchers and is happy with each performance so far.
“All of the pitchers have been the number one at some point in their life, and its great to have a lot of options,” Letty said.
Reach the reporter at kcvalen1@asu.edu or follow @kvalenzuela17 on Twitter.
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