Terrapins softball assistant coach Lisa Norris has worked tirelessly to guide pitchers Hannah Dewey, Brenna Nation and Madison Martin toward their “absolutely best potential” since she was hired in August to oversee the team’s pitching staff.
But she faced an immediate challenge when she got the job: convince them to trust her. Norris said it’s been tough, as the team is dealing with its third coach in three seasons.
Norris’ personal experiences with pitching — she was a two-time first-team All-ACC pitcher at North Carolina — helped earn the players’ faith. While the Terps’ ERA has climbed nearly a run since last season, the pitchers are confident in the philosophy Norris is trying to instill.
“It’s the first time that we’ve had someone who has been through it herself,” Dewey said of Norris, who also pitched for the Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch League. “She played at the top level you can possibly play at, and she’s had a lot of success.”
After building rapport with Dewey, Nation and Martin, Norris has worked to improve their mindsets in the pitching circle. She tells them to “focus on growing” instead of “worrying about the result” of every pitch.
And Norris isn’t afraid to be brutally honest at times.
“She’s very straight up,” Dewey said. “If you suck that day, she is going to tell you.”
Head coach Julie Wright added: “I believe that reality-based thinking is very helpful for them in the big moment.”
Although Norris believes in this new mindset, she’s also taken a scientific approach to pitching.
“I’ve probably learned the most about pitching that I’ve ever learned in my career from her these last few months,” Wright said.
Nation went through a comprehensive overhaul of her throwing mechanics under Norris’ watch last fall and remains an unfinished product. She has a 6.82 ERA through 14 appearances.
Even so, Nation is on a good developmental path, Norris said. But the coach acknowledged that the pitcher’s mechanics are “not something that changes overnight.”
The result has been an uneven start to the season as the Terps struggle to find a No. 1 pitcher to replace former ace Kaitlyn Schmeiser, who went 19-12 with a 3.49 ERA last season. A year ago, the Terps had a 4.58 team ERA; that number has risen to 5.35 this season.
Dewey said working with Norris is like “learning how to pitch from a whole new perspective.”
“You know she’s right, so you know you have to listen to her,” Dewey said.
Dewey has struggled to focus on pitching because of her role as a utility player. Though she loves the challenge of playing pitcher, first baseman and outfielder, Dewey said, she is “spread very thin.” Still, she’s hoping to give more attention to pitching as she looks to improve her 6.88 ERA.
Martin, a redshirt junior who missed last season with a foot injury, appears most likely to take over the No. 1 spot in the Terps’ rotation going forward. She leads the team with a 2.08 ERA and has used deception to put opposing hitters off-balance.
“She’s got to be able to mix speeds, and she’s got to be able to counteract every pitch,” Norris said. “That’s what we’ve been working on the last month.”
Martin’s foot is still an issue, however, and Norris said that “she’s just got to get the stamina back” as she returns to full health. In practice last week, she was still walking with a noticeable limp.
Even with questions surrounding all three hurlers, Wright is confident the trio is on “a really good path” because of Norris’ straight-talking style, experience and approach to pitching.
“She’s exceptional,” Wright said. “It’s been one of my better recruiting jobs.”
