By Benny Garcia — Reporter
When thinking about the most notable college softball players of all-time, one theme remains the same.
Softball legends Dot Richardson, Jennie Finch and Lisa Fernandez were two-way players who possessed the rare talent to pitch and hit at an elite level.
San Jose State softball’s head coach, Tammy Lohmann, recalled Fernandez’s prowess during her playing days.
“She was a fine pitcher, but she could play defense and she was a phenomenal hitter,” coach Lohmann said.
The current San Jose State University softball squad features four players who are considered two-way players.
“It’s great when you can have an athlete that can be multi-dimensional and bring what we need as a team,” Lohmann said. “Having athletes that can provide what the team needs is essential to any team’s success.”
Like Fernandez and Finch, junior Jenessa Ullegue and sophomore Jocylyn Vidal provide the same rare skill set.
Ullegue began playing softball when she was seven years old, but she knew what she wanted to do and where she wanted to play.
“I love pitching, because you’re always competing with the batter, but I wanted to be a hitter because I knew how pitchers would think,” Ullegue said.
In 2019, she was recognized as the Mountain West Pitcher of the Year and named to First Team All-Mountain West.
The Oxnard native made 29 appearances in the circle where she boasted a 1.77 ERA and an opponent’s batting average of .216.
She was dominant with 16 wins on the season and it was no different for her at the plate.
In 46 games as an outfielder, Ullegue had a batting average of .306, hit three home runs and drove in 24 runs.
Even with the dominant numbers Ullegue admitted that it was extremely difficult on both her body and mind.
“There were times where I just wanted to play on one side of the field because I was getting overwhelmed with the constant work,” said Ullegue. “But if you keep pushing through you can be the best player that you want to be.”
The origin story for Vidal becoming a two-way player is different than that of her teammate Ullegue.
She first became a two-way player when she was 12 years old.
“I loved how they [pitchers] always had the attention and I always loved to hit the ball, so it came naturally to do both,” said Vidal.
Vidal is listed as a utility player and she embodies the very definition of the role.
She can play in the outfield, the infield and she can pitch.
However, in her first year at SJSU as a freshman, she was strictly seen as a position player.
With the new coaching staff of Tammy Lohmann, assistant coach Leticia Olivarez and James Davenport having recruited Vidal before her freshman year, they knew she could pitch.
“They [coaching staff] knew I was a pitcher and I’m a team player,” said Vidal. “Whatever the team needed, I’m there for and this year we needed another arm to pitch.”
The softball squad appreciates Vidal’s efforts to put the team first, even though she is seen as the starting shortstop.
“Her [Vidal’s] ability to be able to go where she might not be warmed up, shows that she can give us her best in that moment and it doesn’t faze her,” said coach Lohmann.
And this season, pitching has been a huge need for SJSU.
Through 23 games, Spartan’s softball has deployed only five pitchers.
Out of those five pitchers, Ullegue has taken on a large load of the innings, as she has thrown 49 thus far which is good for second most on the team.
Vidal has only come into six games and thrown 12.2 innings in relief as a pitcher this season and she has had a few rough outings, but over her last three appearances she has only allowed three earned runs.
Ullegue and Vidal have both struggled at the plate offensively this season, with Ullegue hitting .154 in 13 at-bats and Vidal hitting .232 in 56 at-bats.
While the 2021 season has not been kind to Ullegue, Vidal and company, there is a “don’t give up” mentality that the team believes in.
“I tell myself to trust the process and your hard work will show up,” said Vidal. “No matter if you’re in a slump, something will come through if you keep working on them.”
Even though the struggles have seemingly remained for SJSU’s two-way players, coach Lohmann believes building a relationship with them is key to the team’s future success.
“You need to get to know them a little bit and find out what they need,” said coach Lohmann. “Players who play dual positions need to be able to flush what they’re doing, on and off the field.”
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