Sophomore first baseman Jessica Melcher transformed her swing in the offseason and now adds a powerful bat to the Cougar lineup. Photo credit: Steven Mercado
There are three words that Azusa Pacific sophomore first baseman Jessica Melcher used to describe what she aims to be: “hard-working, team-oriented and competitive.”
These qualities have carried Melcher through her time thus far as a Cougar.
Her freshman year was full of growth. She played 34 games and had a .260 average with 20 hits, four runs and four RBIs. After an offseason of adjustments, head coach Carrie Webber and second baseman Katrina Oviedo saw Melcher make big improvements and stretch further toward the potential she showed from last season.
“Last year was that transition year when we were kind of figuring out her swing and figuring out what was going to work for her and getting her into the best rhythm possible. This year, she’s starting to see the fruits of her labor and hard work,” Webber said. “She’s really determined to be a good hitter and make the changes that we’re asking. That goes to show she’s a very coachable kid and she’s a hard worker. She’s determined to be the best player that she can, and that’s what we’re starting to see in her sophomore year.”
Melcher’s growth is showing in the 21 games the Azusa Pacific softball team has played this season. She is batting .295, has 18 hits and is currently leading the team in home runs with four and RBIs with 19.
The results are primarily due to Webber and the Cougar coaching staff working on her swing. According to Melcher, the biggest flaw in it was her step.
“Once I got my load forward and I got all my weight transferred, that’s where the power came from,” Melcher said. “[Before,] everything would be on my back side and I would be popping up everywhere. It was very hard [to be patient].”
According to Oviedo, Melcher is not only a different player, but a different teammate from last season in her personality and actions on the field.
“Last year, she was a freshman, so she didn’t really know her role and wasn’t comfortable yet. This year, it’s completely different,” Oviedo said. “She knows what she needs to do, she knows how to communicate with others, she’s not afraid to tell others what to do in a certain situation, so she’s developed a lot.”
Melcher said she owes her progress and improvement to her teammates.
“My game has changed because I’m a lot more comfortable right now,” she said. “I love the team that I’m playing with. I feel the closeness of our team and I just have fun playing.”
According to Melcher, one of the biggest things that prevented her from growing last season was her negativity and criticism of her own game.
“Even if I did do something right, I’d find something wrong in it,” she said. “This year, I’ve learned to … find positives in everything that I do. … The ability to have confidence in myself is what’s changed.”
This confidence has brought leadership on the field. Having this emerge unexpectedly has been great for the team, according to Webber and Oviedo.
“She brings a good work ethic to the girls and she’s also learning how to step up and be more of a vocal leader, which is something she wasn’t last year,” Webber said. “She actually has a very loud voice; we just didn’t know it last year. She’s going to be one of those mainstays and someone who is going to anchor our lineup both offensively and defensively. All around, she’s a great kid.”
Melcher was born and raised in Nebraska until she was 12 years old. She first started playing softball by playing fast-pitch softball for 10 and younger. She kept that interest but didn’t get competitive until her sophomore and junior years of high school, when she began to participate on travel softball teams, which compete normally at higher levels.
John Ortiz, Melcher’s travel ball coach, helped her to decide she wanted to stick with softball and continue improving.
“He made softball really fun. He would have high expectations for us, but at the same time, he would make it fun for us,” Melcher said. “We would mess around and talk crap to each other during practice and it would just be fun. He brought that comfortability and he was always there for us when we needed him.”
The transition from Nebraska to California was tough for Melcher, who said the culture and people in the two states are vastly different. However, she said softball helped ease her culture shock.
“Softball, for me, is where I met my best friends and that’s who I am still friends with today. Those are teams I was on five or six years ago,” Melcher said.
There is no point in playing sports without close relationships with teammates, she said.
“If you don’t have people that care about each other in every aspect, whether it’s in softball, whether it’s out, it doesn’t matter,” Melcher said. “It’s a game that’s not just about the nine players out there, but it’s about the players on the bench as well. Everybody has got to be together to support each other. Otherwise, the team isn’t there, regardless of talent level.”
She said she has experienced personal growth during her year and a half at Azusa Pacific.
“I’ve grown a lot spiritually over these last couple of years in ways that I was able to help people, some family members who were going through a really tough time and maybe haven’t been as close to God as they want to be,” Melcher said. “I’ve kind of helped them get through that.”
The sophomore said big role models for her spiritual path and journey at APU overall are Webber and the rest of the coaching staff.
“I have become a better person physically, mentally and most importantly, spiritually because of [them],” Melcher said. “I love to win, but the thing I love the most is being able to make my coaches proud. Coach loves us so much and it shows. She is always there when we need her. I just really hope she knows how much the team and I appreciate and love her and all she does for us.”
With 21 games played so far this season, Melcher looks to continue being a key contributor to the 15-6 Azusa Pacific softball team.
“I’m just ready to kill the rest of the teams [this season],” she said.