From years ago to now, coaches and other adults have used the phrase “you hit like a girl” jokingly, but what they fail to recognize is the long-term impact on women and young girls. Hitting like a girl has all the sudden progressed into running like a girl, throwing like a girl, or any other activity for that matter. What started out, as a joke is now a micro-aggression that frames all girls into being weak. These college athletes, however, are fighting back the stereotype that girls can’t play just as hard as the boys. These ten collegiate softball players are just a few examples of the major girl power in sports.
1. Lauren Chamberlin
Chamberlin played for the Oklahoma Sooners and graduated last year. In her collegiate softball career she had a total of 95 home runs and a batting average of .395. She holds 6 Big 12 records for offense and finished her career with a .960 slugging percentage.
2. Jenny Dalton
During her college career as an Arizona Wildcat, Dalton managed a .411 batting average and 328 RBIs. She also had 76 home runs and a .814 slugging percentage as a Wildcat. At age 42, Dalton still holds Pac-12 and NCAA D1 records for RBIs.
3. Stacey Nuveman
In her three years playing for the UCLA Bruins, Nuveman racked up a .448 batting average, 70 home runs, a .912 slugging average, and 235 RBIs. After college she accumulated a .385 batting average on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.
4. Lisa Fernandez
Not only was she an ace pitcher, but this bruin led her team with a .511 batting average her senior year. She also managed a career batting average of .382. Talk about a utility player.
5. Jessica Mendoza
Mendoza was not only a slugger but also a scholar. During her sophomore year at Stanford she led the country with a batting average of .475. During that same year she also managed 94 hits.
6. Lauren Haeger
Haeger was another ace pitcher with one hell of a bat. In her four years she had 260 RBIs and 71 home runs. She ended her collegiate career with a .326 batting average. She, along with Fernandez, proves that pitchers are more than just defensive players.
7. Jill Justin
After finishing her career as a Northern Illinois Husky, Justin maintained a batting average of .467. She had 134 RBIs and 250 hits in her 535 at bats.
8. Sammy Marshall
As a slapper at Western Illinois, Marshall had a .456 batting average a .500 on base percentage. She also had 134 stolen bases (talk about running like a girl). Marshall went down as one of the best collegiate slap hitters in history.
9. Chelsea Bramlett
As a freshman at Mississippi State, Bramlett was noted for her .536 batting average, which went down as the 9th highest ever recorded in NCAA D1 history. She also holds the record for the highest batting average is Mississippi State history.
10. Kaitlin Cochran
In her 4 years at Arizona State, Cochran totaled a .446 batting average, 69 home runs, and 230 RBIs. After college, she became a member of Team USA. During her 4 years on the national team she totaled a .319 batting average while playing against the best of the best.
