Jennie Ritter wanted to quit.
- Michigan Softball
- (PHOTOS BY MIKE HULSEBUS)
The 13-year-old Dexter native wasn’t getting any playing time on her 14-and-under summer travel team, and she had had enough.
That is, until her pitching coach, Pat Brower, came up to her and told her that he could help her improve her pitching.
“I took (my lack of playing time) like I was terrible – as opposed to what really was going on,” Ritter said. “My pitching coach saw that I had an ability. I took it to heart and listened to him and it just kind of went from there.”
By her senior year in high school, Ritter had thrown nine no hitters, averaged two strikeouts per inning and posted a 17-3 record during her junior year.
And now, after guiding the Wolverines to a National Championship last year while earning high accolades such as All-American, Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, All-Big Ten first team and Michigan pitcher of the year, the senior pitcher on the Michigan softball team has proven she is more than capable to play the game of softball at an elite level.
But even with last year’s accomplishments, Ritter is faced with a new challenge. Team leaders such as Jessica Merchant and Nicole Motycka have graduated, and Ritter will be called upon to take on more of a leadership role than last year, particularly with the younger pitchers on the Wolverine staff