A Little work left to do
By Luke Fay | fayl@tcc.fl.edu
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 21, 2021) – The jump from high school to the collegiate level comes with a learning curve for most athletes. Tallahassee Community College Softball 3rd baseman Raven Little seems to be the exception.
Little, a freshman from Jacksonville, Fla., has enjoyed a stellar campaign for the Eagles as they close out the end of their season on Thursday. The third baseman is batting .361 with 10 home runs and 24 RBI.
The offensive production did not come easy for Little. She struggled from the plate her senior year in high school batting under .200 during the Covid-19 shortened season. Subsequently, Little began to lose confidence and wondered if she should even continue playing softball.
"I did lose a lot of confidence my senior year. I did start to doubt myself a lot to where I wondered if I was even good enough to go to college," Little said. "High school ball was so stressful to me because I had so many of my friends there. Everybody was always watching – teachers, friends, family friends would always be there."
The confidence was not going to return overnight. Little went back to the drawing board and used her summer ball as a hard reset before heading off to TCC.
"I gained a lot of confidence back when I was playing travel ball over the summer. My coach said this is just to get you warmed up for college and do what you can," Little recalled. "I started taking more batting lessons around my free time. When I saw I could hit better after the lessons it gave me more confidence."
When it came time to head off to Tallahassee and the Patti Townsend-run program, she was ready for the challenge.
"It was almost like I got a complete fresh start, a fresh plate. She never brought up school ball, it was great," Little said.
When she arrived in Tallahassee, the coaches put her in the weight room, which translated to a more powerful swing. Little is the first Eagle to reach double-digit homeruns since Samantha Malik and Kristin Gunter hit 13 each during the 2017 season.
"From doing all the weights in fall and doing all the training, it helped me to not overthink everything, every little swing, " Little said. "In travel ball, before I came to school here I was hitting really well. I've been hitting nukes for a while, but not this consistently.
Catcher Stacey Hudson and center fielder Jania Davis are the two upperclassmen who Little looks up to. Hudson, the batter in front of Little in the lineup, has helped provide hitting advice.
"Stacey is really fun to watch hit because she is very selective pitch-wise," Little said. "I will always ask, 'Hey, did it help you to stand here in the box?' or 'What was your first-pitch strike?' She will fill me in on everything, so it is really helpful."
Davis, the Eagles' prolific leadoff hitter is batting .476 on the year. However, it is her leadership, not her bat, that has impressed Little.
"After we take a tough loss, she is the first one after Coach Patti is done talking to stand up," Little said. "I don't say much because I'm a freshman, but it will help me out a lot next year seeing her confidence and the way she talks to us. We all really respect her, that's how I want to be seen next year."
Little takes her career in softball one step at a time. Her professional career, well she has that figured out. Little is set to become a dental hygienist when she finishes school.
Softball is far from the rearview mirror, however. Little has some unfinished business as she looks forward to her sophomore season in an Eagle uniform.
"I want to have a better mindset in going further in the season," Little said. "I think next year, if we start off saying 'we need to win every single game and conference,' that would help us out a lot. We are not here just to play and get it over with, the goal is to go on (to the postseason)."
The Eagles close out their season with a home doubleheader against Chipola College on Thursday, April 22. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.