Amber Freeman was never supposed to be here.
After being told at age 11 that she would never play softball again, the senior catcher has defied the odds and grown into a two-time All-American, staking her claim as one of the greatest Sun Devils of all time.
She has also grown into a vocal and emotional leader within this ASU team.
“I feel like I’m always being a teacher, trying to guide (my teammates) along,” Freeman said. “I feel like I can also lead by example.”
Freeman’s teammates often refer to her as playing the role of both a mama bear and a sister, and Freeman embraces that wholeheartedly.
“On the field I feel like I’m more of a mother figure, just trying to teach them everything I can before my time is up,” Freeman said. “As a sister, I feel like outside of softball I’m someone that (my teammates) can come to and talk to about anything.”
Freeman’s leadership style is all her own, but she does try to emulate the playing style of one of her former teammates, a three-time All-American and Sun Devil legend.
“My freshman year I was in awe of Katelyn Boyd,” Freeman said. “I would study her game and the way she held herself. I tried to copy her swing a little bit, and I think that’s why my swing has changed so much.”
Change has been a central theme of Freeman’s career, including a change in head coach from Clint Myers to Craig Nicholson before her junior year.
Freeman discussed the differences in playing for Myers and Nicholson.
“Coach Myers is a little bit more chill –– he’s older and moves a bit slower,” Freeman said. “Coach Nicholson is not afraid to get on you real quick and kind of shock you a little bit, but I think that’s what we need from him. He lights a fire under our butts every day.”
Freeman sees the competitive fire in her teammates, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a little fun.
Bro you're kidding!!! Shout out to my girl @seashel_13 who the funniest person I know. Love you! pic.twitter.com/UhAqmOi5fl
— Amber Freeman (@A_Freeman9) March 22, 2015
“This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing softball,” Freeman said. “This is the closest team I’ve been on since I’ve been here. (We have) the best team chemistry, and I think that goes a long way.”
Freeman also played for Team USA softball twice in her career, and she truly values that experience.
“(Playing for Team USA) has taken me places I would’ve never been –– South Africa, South America, Canada, it was amazing,” Freeman said. “Not only that, but I got to play with the best players in the country. They taught me how to hold myself accountable and play the game the right way.”
Playing the game the right way goes hand in hand with playing it well, and Freeman has done just that. She has consistently been one of the best players on her team and in the country, boasting 50 career home runs and 178 career RBIs. Those numbers are ranked fourth and fifth respectively in ASU history, and Freeman was also named Pac-12 Player of the Year after her sophomore campaign in addition to being a two-time All-American.
Freeman spoke about the significance of her accomplishments.
“The fact that I’m able to accomplish and achieve these things while in college is truly amazing,” Freeman said.
What’s more is that Freeman has undergone a plethora of injuries in her life, starting with what doctors said should’ve ended her career at 11 years old.
“When I was 11, my hip slipped out of the socket over a year’s course when I was playing,” Freeman said. “I had surgery on it, and now I have a three-inch screw in my hip. The doctors said I wasn’t gonna be an athlete and I was like, ‘Whatever, I’m gonna do it anyway.’”
With all she has overcome in her life and accomplished in her career at ASU, Freeman wants to leave behind a lasting legacy in Tempe.
“I want to be known as one of the best players to ever play at Arizona State,” Freeman said. “I want to be in the company of Katie Cochran, Katelyn Boyd and Katie Burkhart.”
Freeman emphasized what she wants to be remembered by the most.
“I not only want to be known as a good player,” Freeman said. “But also as a great teammate and a good person.”
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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