Sarah Hudek adjusts to BPCC baseball team – Shreveport Times
You’d have to forgive Sarah Hudek for being a little more nervous than most of the student body during the start of her fall semester at Bossier Parish Community College.
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BPCC’s Sarah Hudek talks about life as a college baseball pitcher.
Jimmy Watson/The Times
Hudek, an incoming freshman from Houston, is also a member of the Cavaliers’ baseball team, the first female to sign with the junior college. The 5-foot-10 left-handed pitcher is believed to be the first female to play college baseball in Louisiana and one of the first in the country.
“I was really nervous coming here and not knowing what to expect, but the guys have been very accepting,” said Hudek, whose grandparents live in southeast Shreveport. “It’s been an adjustment for me, as well as for them. But the meshing has gone well so far, and I’m excited.”
Hudek is one of 58 student-athletes on the BPCC squad, but the only one who doesn’t dress in the parking lot. The baseball team doesn’t have a clubhouse with a shower, so the guys change clothes wherever they can, or wait until they get home.
“Not having a clubhouse has actually worked out in my favor,” said Hudek, who detests spiders and arrogant athletes. “It means I’m not excluded.”
An exclusive club
Hudek is a rarity but she isn’t the only female student-athlete who has competed in a traditionally male-only sport at the collegiate level.
NCAA associate director of public and media relations Gail Dent said Hudek has predecessors on NCAA baseball teams.
“In 2013-14 there were two females listed on baseball teams, both in Division III,” Dent said in an email to The Times. “And in 2012-13 there was one female listed on a baseball team, also in Division III. We do not identify the schools with the data, but we can provide you with this information.”
At the NAIA level, a number of females have performed in men’s sports including Michaela Hutchison, who wrestled several matches with the Oklahoma City University men’s team in 2008-09, according to NAIA director of communications Chad Waller.
Shelby Osborne is a junior varsity defensive back for the Campbellsville University (Kentucky) football team, but hasn’t played a varsity game. Further back, Deb Hemmingsen competed in men’s golf in 1973-74 at Hastings College (Nebraska), while Liz Heaston was a kicker for the Williamette (Oregon) football team in 1997 when the school was still an NAIA member.
Women, like Ila Borders, pitched collegiately and in independent baseball from 1997-2000, and Hudek has a friend, Marti Sementelli, who recently completed her eligibility as a pitcher for the Montreat College baseball team in North Carolina.
“Marti was my best insider in telling me how things happened based on her experience,” Hudek said. “She has been good to talk to.”
Representatives from LSU, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State said their schools haven’t had a female baseball player.
Changing the game
Christine Smith, chair of women’s and gender studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay sees an impact from women participating on traditionally male teams.
“The fact that there are women entering male teams in baseball, football, hockey does suggest a change. And it also indicates that Title IX is having an impact,” said Smith, who believes that in some ways there is a changing role of gender in sports because gender is heavily embedded in sports.
“There is a wonderful book called ‘The stronger women get the more men love football’ that not only discusses sexism in sports, but the fact that traditionally masculine sports such as football become more popular because as women challenge gender roles, we may gravitate toward sports that reify masculinity,” Smith said. “But, one ‘sport’ that is heavily masculine has also been the most embracing of women, or at least one woman — mixed martial arts and Ronda Rousey. It has been fascinating to watch because she is so well-respected in an incredibly macho sport.”
Baseball has the potential to be more gender inclusive than football because there is not as much contact.
“The less physical contact, the fewer problems people have,” Smith said. “Not only the sexual component but also the idea that women will get hurt.
Young women do have something to gain from playing in a traditional sport.
“(Some girls) may want to play a sport such as baseball that has more respect and interest in this culture,” Smith said. Look at how much more respected men’s sports are (just look at audience and pay differences in the NBA and WNBA). Second, many sports emphasize teamwork, and having men and women work as a team, relying on each other, breaks down barriers.
“But another factor is that we need to respect women more as players. Fewer women may be able to compete in the NBA, but the WNBA players should be respected for what they do and bring to the sport.”
More girls play prep baseball
Called one of “The 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports” by Fox Sports, Dr. Donna Lopiano has been nationally and internationally recognized for her leadership advocating for gender equity in sports by the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA, among others. Currently the president of Sports Management Resources, Lopiano is focused on female athletes getting their due.
“I seldom hear about women playing a traditionally men’s sport, so I wouldn’t know how to answer except to really look at existing databases,” Lopiano told The Times “Now the National Federation of State High School Associations has similar database and they keep track.”
At the high school level, at least, the number of girls playing baseball nationally has increased from 698 in 2010-11 to 1,203 in 2014-15.
But BPCC’s decision to sign Hudek shouldn’t be viewed as a sign of more females moving into previously all-male territory at the collegiate level. The U.S. Department of Education requires all colleges and universities to submit information for the Equity in Athletics report. A search of various reporting years from NCAA schools and junior colleges didn’t turn up additional female members on baseball teams.
A lack of upper body strength is often cited by experts as one reason females have trouble competing on the same athletic field with males, especially in sports like football and baseball. In Hudek’s case, it took exceptional athletic talent, along with the right situation.
“I was visiting with Sarah’s dad when he was here for her signing and we agreed that if she were a hitter or right handed, this signing probably wouldn’t have taken place,” BPCC baseball coach Aaron Vorachek said. “But she is a soft throwing left hander and they get outs. That’s why this works.”
The right stuff
BPCC pitching coach Thaddius Markray, who played for and coached the Shreveport Captains, said Hudek is no different from the guys.
“She grinds as hard as anyone,” Markray said. “She knows who she is. She can spot the ball in and out. Her change-up is one of the best I’ve seen.”
Vorachek said when he signed Hudek in February that he was signing the pitcher due to her ability on the mound with a fast ball in the 82 MPH range.
“That’s as good, or better, than most boys around here,” Vorachek said.
It didn’t hurt in Hudek’s development that her father, John Hudek, pitched for six seasons with five different Major League teams, including the Houston Astros. At least partly because of that association, Hudek is a big Astros fan and calls Houston pitcher Lance McCullers a personal friend.
“I grew up around pro baseball and I’ve had the opportunity to pick the brain, not only of my dad, but of other major leaguers he is friends with,” Hudek said.
Pan Am Games
Spending a busy summer playing baseball with various teams included participating in the Pan Am Games with the inaugural Team USA all-girls’ baseball team. Team USA went 5-0 with a 6-1 win over Canada in the championship game to claim the gold medal.
“Most of my teammates on that team came from a softball background,” Hudek said. “I was the only one going on to play college baseball.”
The best thing about the trip to the Pan Am games in Toronto was getting to see and meet athletes in other sports.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” Hudek said. “It was all free for athletes with our credentials, so I watched handball, ping pong and beach volleyball. It was neat to meet other athletes from around the world. The handball was amazing.”
Hudek said she didn’t pitch well but had a multi-hit game in the championship contest.
“I pitched in the opening game and in the closing game, but I struggled a bit,” she said. “I fixed it. One of my teammates tossed a no-hitter, which was cool.”
Adjustment time
The step-up from high school baseball and academics to the collegiate level has been an adjustment since she arrived in town on Aug. 10. The responsibility of studying on her own has been demanding as she is tackling 16 hours of algebra, English 102, psychology, first aid and Spanish.
“We’ll be taking a lighter load in the spring when we’ll be traveling more,” Hudek said. “The workouts have been much harder than in high school, but the practice sessions have been pretty much the same.”
Next step
BPCC’s fall baseball season tipped off on Saturday in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and the Cavs have a home game with TCS Post Grad on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. Like the rest of the players on the roster, Hudek is hoping to get a chance to display her skills.
“It’s kind of like a year-long showcase with the goal of winning a JUCO title, but also trying to perform well enough to move on to a D-I or D-II program after two years here,” she said. “The fall is the best time to make an impression on the scouts.”
Her dad was signed to the majors out of a Division II school, so she knows getting a chance to move up might come her way.
“Right now, I just want to contribute to my team, get a spot on the roster and win some games,” Hudek said. “Down the road, if I get the opportunity to play D-I or D-II — that would be great. But I don’t want to go to a D-I school and just sit.
“Coach Vorachek was great to see me just as a baseball player and give me a chance here. It would have to be the right fit. It would be a little scary, but nice to meet new people all over again.”
Twitter: @JimmyWatson6
Some Hudek predecessors
• Ila Borders pitched for Southern California College in the 1994-96 seasons; Whittier College in the 1997 season.
• Marti Sementelli recently completed eligibility at North Carolina’s Montreat College as a pitcher.
• Molly McKesson pitched for D-II Christian Brothers University in 2005.
• Ghazaleh Sailors will pitch for the University of Maine-Presque Isle, an NCAA D-III school, this fall.
MORE ON SARAH HUDEK
Watch a video of Sarah Hudek at shreveporttimes.com.
See Jimmy Watson’s column in sports
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