ESPN analysis
Softball: speed bursts, action,
forcing attention, fast reactions
According to ESPN, here is college softball by the numbers...
► SOFTBALL FIELD is (7,200 sq. ft.) 43% size of baseball field (16,700sq. ft.) -- base paths 60 ft. vs. baseball's 90 ft. -- which means every player is constantly on the move, potentially being part of every play, while all the action is within the easy purview of every spectator's seat.
► SOFTBALL PITCHING RUBBER is just 43 ft. from home vs. baseball's 60.5 ft., but a windmill pitcher releases the ball 37 ft. away to hurl a ball that can reach the plate as fast as 0.35 seconds later (faster than it takes a 100 mph baseball from its 55 ft. release point to reach its batter).
► SOFTBALL BATTER can have just 0.350 seconds to locate and identify a pitch, compared to 0.395 seconds for hardball (and, then, she has as little as 0.025 seconds to decide whether to swing!)
► SOFTBALL BATTED BALL can come off the bat at speeds up to 100mph. A shortstop may have only 0.61 seconds to react.
► SOFTBALL INFIELDERS facing shorter base paths must get the batted ball to first in less than 3.2 seconds. That's more than a full second faster than how a typical major league must successfully perform to fire a baseball to first (4.3 seconds).
► SOFTBALL SLAP-HITTERS can reach speeds of 19 mph, racing home to first in as little as 2.66 seconds. A third base fielder can take no more than 1.5 seconds (or throw faster than 100 mph) to record that out.
► SOFTBALL BASE STEALERS -- despite softball rules against taking leads -- can get from first to second in as little as 3 seconds. On average, a softball catcher must react 1/10 of a second faster than her major league counterpart.
Softball: speed bursts, action,
forcing attention, fast reactions
According to ESPN, here is college softball by the numbers...
► SOFTBALL FIELD is (7,200 sq. ft.) 43% size of baseball field (16,700sq. ft.) -- base paths 60 ft. vs. baseball's 90 ft. -- which means every player is constantly on the move, potentially being part of every play, while all the action is within the easy purview of every spectator's seat.
► SOFTBALL PITCHING RUBBER is just 43 ft. from home vs. baseball's 60.5 ft., but a windmill pitcher releases the ball 37 ft. away to hurl a ball that can reach the plate as fast as 0.35 seconds later (faster than it takes a 100 mph baseball from its 55 ft. release point to reach its batter).
► SOFTBALL BATTER can have just 0.350 seconds to locate and identify a pitch, compared to 0.395 seconds for hardball (and, then, she has as little as 0.025 seconds to decide whether to swing!)
► SOFTBALL BATTED BALL can come off the bat at speeds up to 100mph. A shortstop may have only 0.61 seconds to react.
 |
| Wesley Wolverine sophomore #1 IF Bianca Newsom (Edison, NJ). |
► SOFTBALL SLAP-HITTERS can reach speeds of 19 mph, racing home to first in as little as 2.66 seconds. A third base fielder can take no more than 1.5 seconds (or throw faster than 100 mph) to record that out.
► SOFTBALL BASE STEALERS -- despite softball rules against taking leads -- can get from first to second in as little as 3 seconds. On average, a softball catcher must react 1/10 of a second faster than her major league counterpart.
 |
| From left, Wesley Wolverines sophomore #4 P Abbey Mayse (Cecilton, MD), junior #23 IF Brooke Retkowski (Parkville, MD). |