What is a riseball? Explaining college softball's go-to strikeout pitch ahead of WCWS
The act of pitching is an art.
This statement may not be rocket science, but it is one that is often reiterated in the postseason when it comes to college softball. Just look at the pitching staffs that Oklahoma has had over the last four seasons with Jordy Bahl, Kelly Maxwell and Hope Trautwein, as the Sooners have won a sport-best four consecutive national championships.
Sam Landry is the latest to add her name to that list for the Sooners this season, who are making their ninth consecutive trip up Interstate-35 from Norman to Oklahoma City to compete in the Women's College World Series.
A leading contributing factor to college softball pitchers' ability to paint a canvas, for lack of better words, from the circle has been the continuous evolution and usage of the riseball — one of several strategies for pitchers when it comes to delivering a pitch.
NCAA softball tournament action continues on Thursday with the start of the WCWS at Devon Park in Oklahoma, where the final eight teams in the 64-team bracket will play for a national championship over the next nine days.
Here's what you need to know about what a rise ball is in college softball ahead of the Women's College World Series:
What is a riseball in college softball?
A riseball is one of the more common go-to strikeout pitches in college softball for pitchers.
As for what a rise ball exactly is, it is exactly what its name suggests: a late break pitch that has a rise in trajectory as it reaches the batter's box. In other words, the rise of it happens as the batter begins to swing the bat. It's often seen in a two-strike count.
Here's a look at Texas Tech star pitcher NiJaree Canady, who leads the country with a 0.89 ERA in her first season with the Red Raiders, throwing a riseball against Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional:
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