Striking Distance

For most high school pitchers, 17 strikeouts in a game would be cause for great celebration. For Avon star Jenny Esparza, however, it was just another day at the office. Earlier this season, the Butler University recruit fanned 17 batters and allowed three hits in Avon's 6-1 victory against Plainfield in the championship game of the Hendricks County softball tournament, helping the Orioles to their third straight county title. Was anybody surprised by the senior's performance? Not a chance. "Her name is really big, so people start to get intimidated at the plate," said Plainfield senior Emily Bloom, who recorded one of her team's hits against Esparza April 11. "She's a very powerful pitcher and her rise ball is killer. She is one of the best pitchers in the state." Since becoming the Orioles' ace as a sophomore, Esparza has shattered numerous school records and earned All-State First Team honors the past two seasons. Not bad for a girl who didn't even start pitching until she was 12. "I messed around and always thought it was fun," she recalled. "My (summer league) coach was like, 'Hey, that kid has something.' That's when I really started thinking, 'Maybe I can do it.'" Unfortunately for opposing hitters, Esparza stuck with it and continued to develop her pitching arsenal. Now, she's hoping to cement her legacy as one of the greatest pitchers to play high school softball in Indiana. Through the Orioles' first six games this season, she had a 55-9 career record with a 0.21 earned-run average and 912 strikeouts. She owns Avon school records for strikeouts in a game (21), strikeouts in a season (407), average strikeouts per game (14.96) and lowest ERA in a season (0.08). Her 407 strikeouts as a sophomore are tied for the fourth highest single-season total in state history, while her 0.08 ERA last year is the fifth lowest in a season. "Jenny is the best of the best," said Avon's Morgan Coss, a pitcher on the freshman team who hopes to become the next Jenny Esparza. "I definitely want to follow her footsteps, but it's going to be hard because she's so good." Orioles senior catcher Helen Rogers added: "She has a lot of confidence and always knows, 'This is what I'm going to do, and this is how I'm going to do it.' She never has any doubt." Despite all of her personal accomplishments, only one thing could help make Esparza's career truly memorable: a Class 4A state championship. She hopes to be competing for that ultimate prize on June 13 at Ben Davis. "I'm not saying we're going to win state, but we've worked hard and definitely have all the tools to achieve it," she said. "If we don't make it there, we'd be bummed. That's one of our goals." Even with a standout pitcher like Esparza, winning a state title will be no easy task. Avon, which has won three consecutive sectional titles, has never advanced past the regional round of the state tournament. The Orioles lost to Franklin Central, the eventual state runner-up, by a 1-0 margin in last year's regional opener. However, Avon coach Jenny Shayotovich believes Esparza and the team's other five seniors - Holly Wasmund, Katie Mathieu, Nikki Burris, Kristin Joswick and Rogers- are capable of leading the Orioles to their first state crown. "Jenny definitely has the ability to get us to that point, as does that entire group of seniors," Shayotovich said. "It's very important to these girls, and I think they're going to lead this team in the right direction." If the Orioles are to make a championship run, Esparza will likely be the catalyst both offensively and defensively. Along with her prowess as a dominant pitcher, she has hit over .400 in each of the past three seasons and is on pace to break the Avon school record for career batting average. "Really, the only thing she can't do is run the bases - and that's because we don't let her," Shayotovich joked. "She's a student of the game and she loves the game. Her all-around presence is very important to this team." Esparza takes pride in being productive at the plate. "If I can't help on the mound, at least I can contribute in other ways," she said. "I actually get nervous when I hit. When I pitch, I really don't get nervous. I just love the whole adrenaline rush." With her ability to excel in all aspects of the game, Esparza appears to have limitless potential at the college level. She chose Butler over a number of schools, including Indiana and Purdue University. "I love the (Butler) coach and all the girls," she said. "I can't wait to get there." Avon freshman coach Tamara Condon, a former catcher at Elmhurst College in Illinois, believes Esparza can succeed as a college pitcher. "She's really solid on the mound - you can't tell whether she's getting upset or excited," Condon said. "She's got a poker face, and she's really intense. No matter what she's doing, she's all about it. It seems like she moves the ball around, and that throws hitters off-balance, but she also has speed, which a lot of people can't catch up to. I would say she's college-ready right now." Fortunately for the Orioles, Esparza isn't going anywhere at the moment. -