When Jessica Griffin first starting playing softball at the age of 10, she went where her other family members had gone before her – to the outfield. However, Griffin quickly realized that it was not where she wanted to be.
“I got terribly bored, so I told my dad I wanted to catch,” Griffin said. “He told me I didn't. He said it was a lot (to take on). 'We (Griffins) usually do the outfield thing.' I said, 'I think I want to be in every play.' Little me, I wanted to be involved in everything.”
So with a little persuasion, Griffin began her catching career. Now, 12 years later, she is still behind the plate, catching every game, and loving every minute of it.
The Hatters have played 201 games since the start of the 2013 season, and Griffin has been the team's starting catcher in all but four of those. She has started a ridiculous 127 games in a row, dating back to her sophomore year. On Sunday, the senior will become the first Hatter ever to start 200 games behind the plate.
How does someone even catch 127 games in a row?
“Gladly. Enthusiastically,” Griffin answered. “At this point, it is part of me. I love it.”
Of course, with so many games comes the wear and tear of playing the position – foul tips off the body, collisions at home plate, and the standing up and squatting down a couple hundred times a game.
Not to mention all those doubleheaders, where she gets to do it all over again.
“My knees feel it, and I feel it,” Griffin said. “It wasn't bad freshman and sophomore years, but junior and senior years it has taken its toll. It is kind of weird. You don't feel it until the end of all of it. In the fifth inning of the second game, I am not sitting there feeling like I am going to die. But that night and the next morning, you are definitely feeling it.”
"Jessica Griffin is just a tough kid," Hatters head coach Frank Griffin said. "She plays hard day in and day out. She is a great leader with the pitchers. She knows when to go out and what to say. You can always count on her."
(Jessica) Griffin says the team's strength and conditioning program has prepared her well for the grind of the season, which enters the home stretch this weekend at Patricia Wilson Field. The Hatters host Lipscomb for a three-game Atlantic Sun series, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. The teams will play the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. as well.
In addition to her amazing ironwoman streak, there are two other facets that stand out about Griffin, especially in today's college game. The first is that she is left-handed. When Griffin initially started playing catcher, she was often told that the position was for right-handers only.
“I got told many times I can't make the tag at home, I can't make the throw to third,” Griffin said. “I like to come back and say, 'You can't make the throw to first,' and other little things. I did not feel the obstacles. I just overcame them.”
Griffin's other unique quality is that she calls her own game. While this responsibility means extra pregame prep studying statistics and opponent scouting reports, it is a challenge that she thoroughly enjoys.
“That is my favorite part of the game,” Griffin said. “I have done it for a while, maybe since I was 15. My dad got me developing that skill. It was daunting at first, for sure. Clearly, you are going to mess up, and you have to take ownership for that, and that is probably the worst part about it, but if you are not hitting well, or something else is going wrong, you have that to fall back on. You have that to use the intellectual part of your mind, and I love it.”
At the start of each defensive half inning, Griffin and Stetson pitching coach Vanessa Bataille discuss the opponents' upcoming batters. That helps Griffin recall what happened earlier in the game, but she also makes adjustments on the fly based on how the batter sets up in the box.
“You are looking at her batting angles, you are looking at everything,” Griffin said. “Coaches can't see all of that every time. They are going off of memory. They are going off what other teams tell them. You see a lot of things that coaches don't see, and I love using that to our advantage.”
Griffin says she also enjoys working with each and every pitcher, developing a chemistry, and trying to help them reach their full potential. Most of that comes during the countless hours spent in the bullpen during preseason and in-season workouts.
“I think that is the best part about Stetson,” Griffin said. “You hear about bigger schools where just anyone gets thrown in the bullpen to catch, and here, I get to go 1-on-1 with them in the bullpen and learn what is going well and what is going wrong with them. If something is going wrong in the bullpen, I get to see it firsthand. I get to see coach B correct it. That way, I can go out in the middle of the game and say, 'Do you remember when this was going on in the bullpen? What did we say? What did we do to fix it?' I think that is huge to build that relationship with them.”
With just six conference games remaining in the A-Sun schedule, the Hatters (27-18) find themselves in the thick of the race. Stetson is one of five teams entering the weekend at a game over .500 (6-5), while Lipscomb (21-20) is just a half-game back at 6-6.
With all six of those conference games coming at home, Griffin and her teammates can't wait to get back on the field this weekend.
“It is absolutely anybody's game right now, and it is exciting,” Griffin said. “We just have to hit the dang ball. Our pitching can get it done. We have to come through with the bats.”
Tickets for each day start at just $5.00 and can be purchased online or at the Patricia Wilson Field box office. Stetson students, faculty, and staff are free with a valid ID.
Sunday is Military Appreciation Day. Members of the military receive complimentary admission while their family members receive discounted tickets.
The three games will also be streamed live on HatterVision. Live stats, the Stetson twitter feed, and HatCheck text messages will provide in-game updates as well.
Full Interview
For more on Jessica Griffin's perspective as a catcher, including her thoughts on playing right field her freshman year, click here to read the full interview.
Jessica Griffin By The Numbers
127 - the number of consecutive starts at catcher
197 - the total number of starts at catcher (most in school history)
200 - the total number of games played
278 - the number of innings she has caught this year, out of 281 total
1,287 - the number of innings caught in her Stetson career
Head Coach Frank Griffin
Stetson's Frank Griffin is in his 20th season as head coach of the Hatters and holds a school record of 670-428 (.610). Griffin is in his 27th season overall with a career record of 895-515 (.635). He needs five wins for 900 in his career.
The All-Time Series
The all-time series between Stetson and Lipscomb is tied 17-17. Last year, the Hatters won two of the three regular season meetings in Nashville (3-10, 4-0, 6-3), but the Lady Bisons won both meetings in the A-Sun tournament (1-0, 8-0). Stetson is 9-9 vs. Lipscomb all-time at Patricia Wilson Field.
Marathon Game
The last time Stetson and Lipscomb met in DeLand proved to be the longest game in Patricia Wilson Field history. On April 19, 2014, the Hatters defeated the Lady Bisons 4-3 in 13 innings.
Home Cooking
The Hatters are 20-9 overall at home this season and 2-0 in conference play. The Hatters hit .280 at home and average 4.0 runs per game. All 12 Stetson home runs this year have come at home.
200 Games Played
Brittany Hawn (201 games played) and Jessica Griffin (200) have reached the 200 games played mark, and Kayla Drury is at 199. Only 20 Hatters have played 200 career games, and Drury will be the 21st.
100 Steals
Stetson needs one more team stolen base for No. 100 on the season. It would be just the third 100-steal season in school history (139 in 2000, 136 in 2001).
