FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself

Right now, a freshman with a rubber arm is just dominating the softball scene.

She’s making a name for herself at Florida Gulf Coast University, and she’s only a freshman.

One season in, pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.

She’s currently the Eagles’ leader in freshmen earned run average, meaning she doesn’t give up many runs.

“I’ve worked really hard in practice, and just having a next-pitch mentality is what I like to call it. It doesn’t matter if I throw the best pitch of my life or if I give up a hit. The next pitch is the only thing that matters,” Sparkman said.

“Sparky,” as she is known by her teammates, is on the ERA leaderboard nationally as well. She has the second-best ERA of any freshman in the NCAA and seventh-best overall.

“It’s just a cool feeling knowing that that stat is there, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a mid-major or big 12 or whatever. We can all be on the same stat list,” she said.

She’s proud of herself, but the young ace knows there’s no “I” in team.

Sparkman said that playing for her teammates in the cobalt and emerald lights a fire under her when she’s on the hill.

“The thing about college is that it is truly one of their last times playing and just playing with those girls in the same dirt. It means something else to you’re playing for them. You want to keep working hard. Whenever I go out there pitching, sometimes I’m like, ‘Man, I want to do my best so these girls have more softball to play,'” she said.

When she gets in a jam, knowing her teammates have her back gets Sparky back on track.

The Eagles have two more regular season series before the ASUN tournament begins next month. This weekend, Sparkman and the Eagles are on the road at Austin Peay before they host Kennesaw State in their last homestand of the season.