On a hot and sweaty Saturday afternoon, the Long Beach State softball team is up 1-0 against UC Santa Barbara. It is the bottom of the second inning with two outs and runners on second and third base, and the 49ers look to increase the lead. Up next to bat?
A 5-foot-5, right-hander approaches the plate with confidence and swagger that has been attained through dedication and hard work.
On defense, sporting short, golden-curled locks with her trademark headband, she encourages her pitcher and teammates as each play is unfolding with focus and enthusiasm.
Jennifer Griffin approaches softball with high expectations and a winning mentality that pays off like it did this past Sunday with her career-high four RBIs.
The Whittier-native is enjoying her second and last season at Long Beach State. She is a communication studies major and transferred to The Beach for the 2008 season after spending two years at the University of Tennessee.
She has become an offensive force to reckon with, leading the 49ers in slugging percentage (.627), RBIs (43), runs (29), and on-base percentage (.494).
But she is not dependent on just her offensive skills. She has a .970 fielding percentage and has committed only three errors in 44 games this season.
At Tennessee, Griffin started in all but five games, was a two-time SEC Tournament champion and made two appearances at the Women’s College World Series. However, she had difficulty trying to fit in with the team and fell out of favor with head coach Ralph Weekly, and was released from the Tennessee softball team.
“I guess they didn’t like my personality,” Griffin said. “They didn’t ask me back because we had different outlooks on softball and I didn’t really fit in there.”
After hearing that she had been released, and in need of a third baseman, the 49ers’ head coach Kim Sowder quickly approached Griffin to join LBSU.
“It was a no-brainer,” Sowder said. “It was a good match. She has a great personality, great work ethic and great passion for the game.”
Griffin accepted the invitation and, in her first year, led the 49ers with a .336 batting average, compiled 28 runs and 22 RBIs.
“It’s been a better fit for me,” she said. “I’m enjoying playing here. I adapted well [with the team] and we meshed together really quickly.”
Soon after, Griffin felt as though she needed to step up as a leader. She believes playing in the WCWS has put an indirect role on her to lead the team due to her experience.
The third baseman is no stranger to leading a team, though. She led California High School to four consecutive league titles and was named Southeast/South Coast Player of the year by the Los Angeles Times in 2005.
“I felt like I definitely had a leadership role on my back,” Griffin said. “But I’m my own worst enemy. I have really high goals and I always push myself to do better.”
As the season winds down, Griffin is just trying to enjoy her last ballgames at The Beach. She has plans of going overseas to Italy and trying a year of professional softball once school has finished.
Griffin plays the final home series of her collegiate career at the 49er Softball Complex, Saturday with a doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton starting at 1 p.m. She will be one of five 49er seniors honored before the series finale, Sunday at 1 p.m.
“She will be missed greatly,” Sowder said. “Anybody would love to have a ballplayer like her and we’ll certainly miss her.”