The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 09, 1997, Page 6, Image 6
GAMECOCK
ATHLETICS
Basketball vs. Clemson
Tonight, 7 p.m.
Sarge Frye Field
Softball @ Coastal Carolina
Today, 3 p.m. (doubleheader)
CCU Field
i
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thT^
QUiEI
(TRIKI
by bryan johi
nhe fear in the batter's eyes is
unmistakable as she timidly
steps into the box where hundreds
before her have been beaten. A wry
grin comes over the pitcher's face
and she knows this batter will soon
be shuffling back to her dugout.
She selects one of her six pitches
to toy with the batter before finally
ending it. The batter swings in an
unsuccessful, almost comical, attempt
to place the bat on the ball and
shakes her head in dismay.
As the batter heads back to the
bench, fans place 1C signs on the
fence to signify another victim of
pitcher Trinity Johnson. When the
game is over, the number ofK signs
will be in the double-digits.
"I know in my heart I can strike
anybody out," Johnson said. "Every
once in a while, doubt creeps in, but
I just have to shake my head and
say 1 know I can do this.'"
For some, it's a career day to
strikeout 10 batters, but for Johnson
it's just another day at the office.
For three years now, the senior
pitcher has been consistently blowing
pitches past opposing batters.
Each year, she has gotten closer
and closer to the school record of
874 held by Darlene Lowery,
considered by many to be the best
pitcher to ever grace the Lady
Gamecock Field pitcher's mound.
But after Saturday's strikeout i
of Tennessee's Carrie Swinford, it
became official: Johnson is the new
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USC Queen of Strikeouts.
"It's amazing; I didn't think I
would be able to do it," Johnson said.
"It's definitely an honor."
Simply known as "T.J." to
teammates and friends, every time
Trinity Joanna Johnson takes the
mound, Carolina has a chance to
beat anyone.
Take last year, when USC had
to play then-No. 1 and eventual
Women'sCollege World Series
Champion Arizona and then-No. 5
Cal State Northridge in the same
day.
Johnson calmly went to the
mound and picked up two victories
as USC defeated the Wildcats, 1-0
and Northridge, 2-1.
"It was great. I mean me going
in and throwing both those games
in one dav. in California, whom T
came from and at the school I
transferred from was awesome,"
Johnson said.
The two-time All-American is
considered one of the most
overpowering pitchers in collegiate
Softball. With a fastball clocked in
the mid-60s, a dropball, a curveball,
a change-up, a knuckleball and a
riseball that has players swinging
about five inches under the pitch,
it is easy to see why.
"My rise is my go-to pitch to throw
the batters off," Johnson said. "I
don't use everything, if s just there
for backup and intimidation."
In 1996, the 5-10 hurler struck
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out 266 batters in 188 innings,
putting her just 241 strikeouts
away from breaking the 10year-old
record. As the 1997
campaign went along, Johnson
began striking out batters at
an alarming rate and
approached the record a lot
sooner than most expected.
By April 5, Johnson was
just eight way from tying the
record. As the game against
Tennessee went along, Johnson
struggled to rack up the Ks.
But as she entered the seventh,
she had tied the record.
With one out and no one
on, UTs Swinford stepped to
k the plate for what would turn
out to be the record-breaker.
Wk Johnson took the count to 1-2
V before blowing a pitch past the
swinging Swinford. It would
m help preserve the victory, but
l. more importantly, break the
W'? record.
1-2, "I didn't even know I had
I -o1 broken the record until after
the game," Johnson said.
Even more impressive than
fee her record itself is that she did
it in under three years.
"I kind of knew I'd break
the record this year, but coming
into South Carolina, I didn't
think I would be able to do it,"
W Johnson said.
^ After graduating from
Temecula High School in
California where she was a fburp.
? year All-League and two-year
^ ' All-County selection, T.J.
decided to attend Cal State
Fuflertan for a year so she could
stay close to home.
Johnson asked Judy Garman,
her coach at CSF, before the season
started if she could transfer after
her freshman year because she knew
she didn't want to stay there.
Her coach told her she would
release her as long as she didn't
transfer to a school in Fullerton's
conference. If she had transferred
to a school in the conference, she
would have had to sit out a season
before being able to play again.
Meanwhile, Johnson's parents
moved to Tennessee for her father's
job and T.J. eventually followed
them to the East Coast.
"We came and looked at this
program and Trinity fell in love with
the city and the school and has been
really happy," Les Johnson said.
Johnson started playing fast
pitch softball when she was 9-yearsold.
"When (Trinity] got through with
her first season, she said 1 want to
be a pitcher* so she started pitching
at 10," Les Johnson, Trinity's father
said. "She was fortunate because
she had a natural ability."
Johnson's father said Trinity
averaged about two lessons a week
and had four coaches over her career
to help her with pitching.
In high school she also played
volleyball, but knew her ticket to
college would be in softball.
rience "
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Affairs/University of South Carolina
he Gamecocks' and Tigers'
"Her senior year in high schoo
she stopped playing volleyba]
because she didn't want to take
chance with getting hurt," Le
Johnson said.
Johnson said she is sometime
over-critical of her performance an
considers herself a perfectionisi
"I'm definitely a perfectionist,
Johnson said. "Not so much on th
/* 1 J i. J i.l__ 1- _
neia as in terms 01 neiaing uie Da
or hitting. But when it comes t
pitching I'm not happy unless I'r
perfect."
Where does this hunger fo
perfection come from?
"She gets it from her mom i:
certain areas and with me being a
airline pilot, I better be right all th
time," Les Johnson said. "She'
always been that way especially i
this sport. She doesn't like makin
mistakes. She said the weakest pai
of her game has always been he
head game.
"As she's matured, each yea
she's gotten stronger and she hasn
reached her potential."
Johnson's dad feels sometime
his daughter is too critical an hersel
"Sometimes when things get res
hard, it affects her mental side an
that hurts her sometimes," Le
Johnson said.
As a sophomore, Johnson earn?
third-team All-American honor
and led the nation in strikeouts wit!
367. She was second in the natioi
in strikeouts per seven innings (10.2
and her ERA of 0.70 was seventh
best in the country. She posted i
27-6 record and threw a perfect gam
in a 4-0 victory over Georgii
Southern Feb. 22,1995.
Her junior year, she was select?
as a second-team Ail-American b;
the NSCA and was a first-team All
Southeast Region selection. Sh<
posted a 20-9 record with one saw
and a 0.93 ERA. Johnson pitche<
no-hitters Furman and Centenary
This season has undoubtedly
been her best statistical year.
Johnson was named a third
teamer as a sophomore and a second
teamer as a junior, so if the trent
continues, she'll be named a first
team Ail-American this year. Anc
with the stats she's putting up, i
would be no surprise.
She is currently 23-2 with ai
ERA of 0.27. She has given up jus
seven earned runs in 155 2/3 innings
and has struck out 251 batters.
Before Sunday's loss to Tennessee
Johnson had won 22 consecutive
games, which is tied for seventh
best nationally all-time. She was
named the USA Today/NPCA Playei
of the Week for the weeks ending
March 26 and Feb, 5. Johnson waf
named the inaugural SEC Pitchei
of the Week March 19 and won the
award again the following week
She was named the Mosl
Valuable Pitcher at the
Speedline/South Florida Classic
She has thrown four no-hitters
including a perfect game againsl
North Carolina Feb. 16. Her othei
no-hitters came against Florida
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| 631 Harden Street
battle on the diamond
rs
1, March 15, Winthrop March 27 and
11 against Kentucky March 29.
a Earlier this year, Johnson threw
s 95 2/3-consecutive scoreless innings,
good for 3rd place all-time nationally,
is Including her season at Cal State
d Fullerton, T. J. has a total of 1,022
t. strikeouts for her career, 884 ol
which have come at USC.
e Currently, Johnson is leading
11 the SEC in strikeouts (251), ERA
o (0.27), wins (23), saves (2), opponent's
n hits per seven innings (2.29) and
strikeouts per seven innings (11.29).
r She is also leading the nation in
strikeouts per seven innings, is third
n in the nation in victories and fourth
n nationally in ERA.
e "Every time Trinity does
s something, my wife and I are
n amazed," Les Johnson said. "We're
g so proud of her, but she doesn't even
t pay attention to the honors."
r That's because team success
comes before individual accolades
r for Johnson.
't "[Individual awards] are
important, but I've never been into
s that because IVe seen so many people
f. get a big head and lose the reality."
d
d "I want to be remembered as
s confident, happy and having good
sportsmanship," Johnson said. Tm
a Christian and I'm someone who
d
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Senior Trinity Johnson is the ne^
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realizes the blessings that she's been
given and uses them to the best of
her ability."
Johnson cites her parents, Les
anv> n a rw\nln I
CU1U JUU1UU UV1U10V/U,
she admires the most.
"They have been non-stop
support," Johnson said. "Whenever
itfs a hard time, they're always there.
They're totally unconditional love."
She said the name Trinity" came
as a result of her family's religious
convictions and a small miracle.
"My parents weren't supposed
to have children and my mom prayed
and prayed and prayed and here I
am," Johnson said. "I'm kind of a
little miracle baby."
In her spare time, Johnson enjoys
reading and listening to music. After
graduation, Johnson said she will
try out for the USA softball team
and has her sights set on playing
softball in the 2000 Olympics in
Sydney, Australia.
Her goals for this season include
helping her USC team become the
first team to win the SEC regular
season and tournament
championship, reach the Collegiate
World Series and to win a national
championship.
And if she keeps pitching the
way she is now, that's a distinct
possibility.
i j JnlK jLiKi i I
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I %* . : ?:<-',, **-, . (
BRYAN JOHNSTON The Gamecock
i* USC Queen of Strikeouts. She is
th the conference and the nation.
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