Roughly 45 feet separates Kaia Oliver from her catcher when she pitches for the Ridgefield softball team.
That’s more than close enough for Emma Jenkins to read Oliver’s mind.
Last season, Oliver pitched Ridgefield to the state playoffs for the first time in six years. The junior was the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League MVP, posting a 1.73 earned-run average with 189 strikeouts.
As Oliver delivered a symphony of strikeouts, Jenkins was the conductor. The junior catcher has called nearly every one of Oliver’s pitches since the two debuted on varsity as freshmen.
Does Oliver ever shake off Jenkins, opting for a different pitch?
“That’s only happened five times,” Ridgefield coach Dusty Anchors said.
Each game, it doesn’t take Jenkins long to know which of Oliver’s pitches are working best.
“I know what pitches to call based on how she throws her warmup pitches,” Jenkins said. “After that, it’s based on the hitters.”
Jenkins knows most local hitters through years of playing against and with them during high school and club seasons. Jenkins and Oliver have been teammates in softball and basketball since sixth grade.
“I have a lot of trust in her and I believe in her,” Oliver said. “She definitely can figure me out pretty fast. She definitely is good at communicating. I enjoy that about her.”
What is most impressive about Oliver? She rarely gets rattled, Jenkins said.
“What still amazes me is how she’s able to pull herself together if she’s struggling,” Jenkins said. “When I go out and talk to her, she’s able to get back in the zone.”
Ridgefield’s roster has only one senior, but the Spudders have plenty of experience. All eight juniors on this year’s team played varsity as freshmen.
That has Ridgefield thinking big. The Spudders want to place at state for the first time since winning the state championship in 2004.
“We’ve all had the same goals for a while,” Oliver said. “It would be really special if we could pull it off.”
