Pat Moore commits… despite the cold & pizza! (2/3)

Pat Moore commits… despite the cold & pizza! (2/3)

Feb 3, 2015 by Brentt Eads
Pat Moore commits… despite the cold & pizza! (2/3)

On Saturday, January 10 it was a gray, somewhat gloomy day in Southern California for the Surf City Winter Showcase but I drove about 20 minutes to watch Pat Moore, the 2017 pitcher from Oregon guest pitch.

Pat works out at last October's West Coast Elite Camp.
Pat works out at last October’s West Coast Elite Camp.

I had seen Pat do well in October at the West Coast National Camp and on the day I saw her she was a bit on the wild side (slippery ball maybe?) with a couple of walks, but also struck out 11 in five innings.

Her dad, Brett, texted me with a funny line: “She doesn’t like the rain. Go figure… she’s from Oregon!”

And now, she’ll have to adapt to extreme cold, because a few days before Surf City, on Jan. 5-6, Pat had tripped to DePaul and three days after I saw her in drizzly SoCal she pulled the trigger and called the Midwest school between classes at school and committed to the university over three other offers.

Pat and Brett’s trip back to Chicago, as told by her father, was an adventure and pretty funny as he recounts how she became a Blue Demon…

***

We had quite a few offers coming in but Pat really liked the coaches at DePaul. They were like family to us. When you go to visit a school you want everything to go perfect from both sides.

We were two hours late to meet the coaches, not the way you want a first impression to go. We left Medford (Ore.) at 6:30 am and drove to Oregon State for a camp and when it was done we drove to Portland. We then took a plane to Las Vegas where we had a six hour layover then a plane to Minneapolis with another layover.

When we were on the plane, Pat asked if I had locked the car. I did not even close the door to the car (we were late). Getting on the plane to Chicago from Minneapolis was like a new trip and it was exciting for the both of us.

We landed in Chicago and we had to sit on the plane for two more hours. I am a Type A personality so I don’t handle situations like this very well but that’s the great thing about Pat… she just rolled with it and was glad we made it there.

Pat in action last year in high school ball.
Pat in action last year for South Medford (Ore.) High.

If you are wondering if we stopped for food, that would be a big NO. It’s Monday and she hasn’t eaten since Medford.

We walk through the airport and I tell her to put on gloves and a hat but you know I am just Dad. What do I know about Chicago?

So as we walk near a doorway to the outside, it opens and we both stop, laugh and put our gloves and hats on. It was something we had never experienced: “coldreal cold! We are originally from San Diego and I was wearing jeans, polo shirt and a jacket that is not the type you need in Chicago.

A man from New York standing in the taxi line said, “You guys aren’t from here, are you?” He gave us some good advice for our stay in Chicago.

We then finally made it to DePaul. We met the staff and players that kept coming in for advice about classes or just hanging around. Going to see the field, they handed us parkas, the kind you see in Antarctica.

The locks were all frozen so we never saw the field. We toured the whole campus and talked about having lunch. What we were going to have for lunch was a deep dish pizza but our question was when.

Pat and I talked on the plane that we would have a Chicago style pizza for dinner but now we were having it for a pre-dinner snack (it was 2 pm)

The pizza was way over cooked, though… that is being nice!

After all of that, though, the cold and the pizza, Pat still liked DePaul. There are some special people at DePaul and the head coach, Eugene Lenti, has surrounded himself with people that care for each other and I believe the environment will make Pat successful at DePaul.

I also want to give Derek and Joann Allister of OnDeck many thanks for seeing talent in Pat that so many others said she is just to small.

This all happened a few weeks ago, but I wanted to mention that Pat is working harder the past weeks than I have ever seen her. She is certainly self-motivated. When DePaul made a offer her response was, “I need to work a little harder so I will be ready to pitch when I get there.”

That is 2 1/2 years away, I am sure she will be ready.


Here’s video of Pat throwing at the Surf City Winter Showcase on Jan. 10, 2015:


*** As a bonus, here’s the “Rising Star” profile on Pat, which was originally published on FullCountSoftball.com Nov. 19, 2014***

Today’s player on the rise spotlight is on an Oregon sophomore who’s not big in stature, she’s just big in accomplishments!

Pat throws at the West Coast National Elite Camp in October.
Pat throws at the West Coast National Elite Camp in October.

Name: Kristen “Pat” Moore
High School: South Medford
City: Medford
State: 
Oregon
Grad Year: 2017
Club: All American Mizuno – Walker
Position(s): Left-handed pitcher/outfielder
Height: 5-7

GPA: 4.0
High School Stats: as a freshman had 274 strikeouts
Honors: led team to 3rd place in Oregon 6A State Playoffs after the school had never previously won a playoff game, two-time Mail Tribune (Medford, Ore.) Player of the Week

Events: attended the West Coast Elite National Camp (Oct. 2014) and was noted by Derek Allister of OnDeck Softball as one of the top performers at the event: “Pat is a lefty pitcher from Oregon and wowed some people today. She had legit spin and solid velocity for a young kid.”
Scouting Report: don’t let her small frame fool you, Pat is a workhorse who has good velocity and movement on her pitches. She also gets stronger the more she pitches and has a blue-collar work ethic and approach (she practices with her dad in their barn). Good natured and likable, she is a plus in the dugout and is athletic enough to play centerfield too.

College: uncommitted
Offers: interest from Pac-12 and other major programs

Other sports: also is a Greater San Diego Hunter Jumper Association champion on her pony, Sepia Silhouette.

What is your favorite bat: “DeMarini, it was a birthday gift from my Dad and Mom!”
What bat does your team use? “DeMarini… they all have their own DeMarinis.”
What is your favorite brand of cleats? 
”Mizuno.”
What is the uniform brand you prefer? “Gluv.”