A strong bond between a pitcher and a catcher is a crucial factor to a softball team’s success.
The connection between these two players is what sets the tone, pace and energy on the field.
San Diego State softball found itself a pitcher-catcher duo last season that proved to be one of the biggest threats in the Mountain West — and the country.
Junior right-hander Erica Romero ended up leading the nation with 36 wins last season and also had a 3.29 ERA over 318 2/3 innings.
She was named MW Pitcher of the Week four times and appeared in 56 of the team’s 58 games.
Romero’s success was nearly mirrored by her battery mate, sophomore catcher Jenavee Peres.
Peres had one of the best freshman seasons in program history in 2015, batting .347 with nine home runs, 48 RBIs, 30 runs and 11 doubles while appearing in 55 of the team’s 58 games.
She was also named the MW Freshman of the Year.
Peres excels in nearly all aspects of the game, but it is her bond with Romero that was an X-factor for a 30-28 Aztec team last year.
From early on, Peres, not a coach in the dugout, called pitches for Romero.
This is rare at the college level, especially for a freshman catcher.
Head coach Kathy Van Wyk recognizes the significance behind the level of unspoken communication between Romero and Peres on the field.
“I think Erica loves it,” Van Wyk said. “She wouldn’t have made it through last season had it not been for the fact that Jenavee was back there and brought her that much more confidence.
“It’s not so much that I think Jenavee calls a perfect game, but she calls it with confidence and it makes you believe, ‘This is the right pitch and it’s the right thing to do.’ Erica believes that, too.”
The rest of the players on the field tend to feed off the energy produced by the duo.
If Romero shows she’s feeling good, everybody feels good and if she’s not, then everyone feels that, too, Van Wyk said.
“I think we have a super strong bond just because she trusts me and I know she trusts me so that makes me trust her even more,” Peres said.
“It’s just about knowing her strengths and pitching to her strengths instead of to other teams’ weaknesses.”
Romero has picked up right where she left off last season with a 5-0 record and a 1.95 ERA this season.
Peres has missed nearly the entire season after suffering a concussion in the team’s first game, but had two hits in her only two at-bats.
This season, SDSU has a larger pitching rotation than last season’s, which largely consisted of Romero game after game.
After losing a couple pitchers for various reasons last year, Romero was the go-to workhorse.
This year, she will have more time to take care of herself.
“My biggest challenge will be dealing with injuries,” she said. “Last year I had a few injuries, but I had to put those things aside a lot of the time and I had to overcome them and forget about them because I had to pitch. I think staying on top of everything and taking care of myself will be key this season.”
For Peres, maintaining good team chemistry is key to push the team in the right direction.
“I think our biggest challenge will just be playing our game and staying up to our expectations and not falling down to other teams,” she said. “Keeping our energy up and staying together on the same page will be important.”
SDSU (7-3) continues its season at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, against Oklahoma State in the opening match of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City.
