Before each pitch, West softball player Delores Hubbard ’27 fights two battles.
One happens on the mound against the batter, standing 60 feet and six inches away. The other happens in her head, where thoughts of arm slot, spin rate and release point can spiral into overthinking with every windup.
What used to be the United States’s favorite pastime has evolved into a demanding, year-round pursuit for West High athletes like Hubbard. Baseball and softball have become far more technical — and mentally demanding — than most spectators realize.
“I don’t think people realize how much a softball player plays,” Hubbard said. “A typical high school season in Iowa is around 40 90-minute games in the span of two months. Most of the time, we play two varsity games back-to-back in the cruel summer heat. Tournaments are a whole other world, where it’s normal to play three to four games in 10 hours, and then get up at 6 a.m. the next morning to do it again.”
Yet, for many athletes, the season extends far beyond the summer calendar. Despite it being a summer sport, the season starts much earlier. Gage Brownlee ’27, a pitcher for West’s baseball team, explains that in reality, the season starts at the beginning of the calendar year.
“We normally start in January with pitching and indoor throwing — just trying to ramp up so we can keep our arms healthy,” Brownlee said. “In the spring, we start practicing and scrimmaging against other schools. Our actual season starts early May and goes through July.”
However, for athletes who partake in baseball outside West, the sport lasts year-round to work individually.
“The rest of the year is off-season, where you work on your own. For travel baseball, you’re not with the team, and you can work on yourself,” Brownlee said. “The spring league, where it’s not as competitive, is mainly to get your numbers and play. Summer through fall is actually traveling and trying to win.”
To “get numbers,” athletes today are constantly evaluated through data from pitch-tracking systems to high-speed motion analysis cameras. The emphasis on numbers reflects the growing role technology plays in modern baseball and softball.
“For me — especially because I’m a pitcher — and for baseball in general, numbers are everything,” Brownlee said. “That’s how college coaches base how good and projectable you are. That’s the most important part because, depending on how your numbers are, it’ll help you get onto better teams or rank higher.”
West baseball coach Trey Bronner has seen the sport rapidly evolve through the rise of analytics.
“The game has changed a lot in the eight or nine years since I stopped playing and started coaching,” Bronner said. “[Now,] a lot of the game has come to the question of, ‘How hard can this player hit the ball? How hard can this pitcher throw?’”
As a player, Hubbard has also witnessed how technology has reshaped softball strategy and communication.
“Softball has become more technical in a multitude of ways,” Hubbard said. “For instance, as a catcher, when I grew up, I would get pitch signs from hand gestures or arm bands. Nowadays, it is normal in college to have a wristband to relay calls and even have audio in the catcher’s helmet; it’s amazing and shows the advancements in the regular game of softball with technology.”
While analytics can add pressure, Hubbard acknowledges the advantages the data provides in pursuing growth.
“Metrics are really useful. Since there is more technology, I am able to compare things such as my exit velocity three months ago to today to see how much progress I have made,” Hubbard said.
Still, the growing obsession with measurable performance can come at a cost.
“Because players are chasing big numbers, a lot of time, fundamentals and mechanics go out the window,” Bronner said. “If the only thing taught at a young age is to throw as hard as you can or hit a ball as hard as possible, the baseline fundamentals can be lost.”
Hubbard has experienced the emotion of analytics firsthand. Although statistics help players improve, constantly monitoring performance can become overwhelming, taking away from the actual game.
“To be honest, I try not to look at my own stats. I think it distracts from simply playing the game and having fun,” Hubbard said. “However, I look at the stats of the opposing team. It helps me scope out how the game will go, and — especially since I mostly catch — I always look at things like stolen bases and [on-base percentage].”
Even as the sport becomes increasingly data-driven, both athletes and coaches emphasize that passion for the game matters most.
“I think my ‘why’ is that I genuinely enjoy playing softball. I’ve done soccer, swimming, basketball and track as well. I was decent at those, but softball stuck because I have fun,” Hubbard said.
For Hubbard, enjoyment is what separates athletes who survive from those who burn out, even when facing a rough patch.
“The true winners are the girls who like practicing and playing, as passion beats talent. The grind doesn’t stop, but I stay motivated since I do have fun,” Hubbard said. “The fact that I am playing with a good group of people who are all trying to make the most out of the least is just enough for me.”
Despite concerns about over-specialization and increasing pressure, Bronner believes that sport’s evolution is unlikely to slow down.
“If younger players really learn the game and how to play it right, eventually their physical attributes will come as they grow older and they will become good ball players,” Bronner said.
However, Bronner hopes players remember that development goes beyond radar guns and stat sheets.
“It’s exciting to see how the game has grown,” Bronner said. “But I would caution younger players and coaches to make sure they are taking care of their bodies, not overdoing anything and learning how to play the game right.”
Additional reporting by Zeke Williamson
