Susan Wysocki, pitcher for the USF Bulls, finishes making a catch at practice.
TAMPA, Fla. – Susan Wysocki had a late start to softball but she made sure to commit to the University of South Florida quickly.
The six-foot right-hander from Cherry Hill N.J. wasted no time in giving an oral commitment to the USF Bulls when she was just a sophomore in high school.
Wysocki didn’t start pitching until she was 12 years old, but feels that she wasn’t at a disadvantage compared to other players when she was recruited by USF.
“You play so much when you start having to travel for softball,” said Wysocki. “You play day in, day out, you have a lot of tournaments and it’s crazy how many games they play now nowadays. I definitely would have rather the later start, if anything.”
Other universities, such as Penn State, had interest in Wysocki but she chose Florida’s warmer climate.
The only thing warmer than the temperature in Florida was the welcome Wysocki received from the Bulls’ coaching staff.
“I love the coaching staff,” said Wysocki. “The coaching staff is super friendly, super nice so it was like coming to a second home for me.”
Other than USF’s coaching staff, Wysocki’s transition from high school level softball to college was made easier because she had a familiarity with some of her teammates.
Wysocki played with Lee Ann Spivey, the catcher for the Bulls, before she went to USF and knew a few of the other girls and some of the coaching staff as well.
“Honestly, just having those friendships as soon as you get here and not having that awkward stage was nice,” said Wysocki. “Even if I didn’t know anyone coming here, the girls are so welcoming it wouldn’t even have mattered.”
Now that she has settled in with the Bulls and is in her second year with the team, Wysocki is pitching well.
She won her first career start against Jacksonville University while pitching four scoreless innings and then followed that up by throwing a five-inning shutout where she recorded five strikeouts to lead the bulls to an 8-0 win against the University of Detroit.
Despite her recent success, Wysocki is still practising hard and trying to improve her pitching arsenal.
“I want to improve my pitching location-wise and I want to perfect my mechanics,” said Wysocki. “Being able to spot all my pitches and having control over each one is definitely something I can improve on all the time.”
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