“Always trust yourself and don’t worry about the factors you cannot control.,” says 2015 outfielder Amanda Lorenz who has committed to Florida and is considered one of the top 100 prospects in her class. 

The junior centerfielder from Moorpark (Calif.) High is such a dangerous leadoff hitter that some teams walked her to lead off games rather than risk the damage she can do with her bat!

In 2013, Amanda won several national, state and local honors at the high school level including MaxPreps Underclass All-American, CalHiSports.com All-State and Ventura County Star Player of the Year after batting .626 with 17 home runs and compiling a spectacular 1.377 slugging percentage.  In 96 at-bats, she only struck out once and her sweet swing has some saying it’s one of the best batting strokes many have ever seen in Southern California.

Amanda plays for the OC Batbusters and helped lead Team Mizuno-Stith to the PGF 18U National Championship game this summer.  In 2012, she was part of the 16U team that won the PGF national title.

In this, her latest blog for StudentSportsSoftball.com, spells out some factors on the field you can’t control and how to deal with them…

Be sure to check out Amanda’s previous blogs and those of our other standout bloggers!

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In every game players are faced with things we can’t control. Things like bad weather, field conditions, awful umpiring and the way the other team plays—all are just a few examples of things we can’t control.

One thing that I’ve found is that I can get very caught up in an umpire’s strike zone when it is a little too wide for my liking. I end up swinging at bad pitches and getting myself out.

If you are dealing with a bad umpire, don’t change a thing! Beware that the strike zone is a little wide, but don’t change your approach. Still look for strikes to hit. If you strike out on a pitch at your neck, deal with it, or learn to hit that pitch so you will be prepared next time.

This past summer, I traveled to New Jersey for a softball tournament with my team. We experienced some of the worst umpiring calls we have ever encountered. But just remember, they are usually equally as bad on both sides. So although games got a little close even though they shouldn’t have been, we came out with wins and got the job done.

As a hitter, you can’t control what pitch the pitcher will pitch you. Don’t guess what pitch she will go to, just be prepared and hit the ball.

I never know what pitch a pitcher pitched me. All I know is the location!

You cannot get caught up in trying to guess her pitches because if it is two strikes and you are expecting a certain pitch, you will let anything go if it isn’t the one you are looking for.

Look for a spot only if there is less than two strikes and you know exactly what you want to do with that pitch.

Always trust yourself and don’t worry about the factors you cannot control. Look at it as a challenge on how to succeed with the disadvantages in place!

Til next time!

Amanda