News Story - Idaho State Journal

tflagstad@journalnet.com

Jordahn Denny knows pressure.

She faces it every time she steps on the mound for a big game knowing that, if she concedes even one run, her Pocatello High team could lose.

''It feels like a lot of it is if you don't pitch the right pitch or if you leave it down the middle, it's your fault if they score a lot of runs,'' the junior said of pitching. ''It's just how the game goes.''

She faces it throughout the summer when she competes in major tournaments with college coaches staring on, dissecting every move she makes.

''It's so scary,'' she said. ''When you're just pitching and you're on the mound and you can see all the colleges sitting around watching you, it makes you really nervous.''

Even with the burden of playing softball's most-prominent position, Denny delivers. She posted a 24-3 record while compiling 261 strikeouts. Entering the state tournament, she had a 0.91 earned-run average for the Indians, and she allowed only seven runs in seven state tournament games as Pocatello finished third - its best-ever performance.

Her dominance also earned her the Journal's All-Area Softball Player of the Year honor.

Denny didn't get any reprieves from her pitching responsibilities.

When Pocatello was playing, more often than not, Denny was pitching, as she was the team's ace and only regular starting pitcher.

Coach Jodi Barrus realized that was a lot to ask of a 17-year-old, but the phenom wouldn't have it any other way.

''I always told her, 'If you can't handle it ...''' Barrus said. ''And she was like, 'What do you mean? Of course I can handle it.'''

Opposing coaches knew what they were in for as well when the Indians showed up on the schedule.

Denny shined as a sophomore, so it was only natural to assume she'd be even better with another year of experience.

''At the beginning of the year, we knew she was going to be our biggest challenge as far as the pitching,'' said Century coach Robert Cutler. ''She definitely lived up to it. It really took three games before we got anything going off her.''

Even after teams faced Denny, they still weren't able to generate much.

Throughout the season, opposing teams often would ask the bottom of their batting lineups to bunt regardless of the score rather than try to hit Denny.

Barrus said that helped build her ace's confidence even more because she could just worry about throwing strikes.

Denny enjoyed it, too, because at least briefly, the enormous pressure eased for a bit.

''It's fun for me,'' she said. ''I can just pitch instead of worry about pitching it down the middle where they can hit a home run.''

While pitching is Denny's specialty, she is far more than proficient at the plate. Hitting in the Indians' No. 4 spot, Denny posted a .497 batting average while blasting six home runs.

In the third-place elimination at the state tournament against Mountain Home, Denny delivered perhaps the most memorable homer of the year. With Pocatello down to its final out and trailing 1-0, she pounded a pitch over the left-field fence to tie things up.

The Indians ultimately lost the game 3-2 in 10 innings, but that at-bat hasn't vanished from Denny's memory.

''I had two strikes on me, we had two outs and I just swung the bat. I did not even think it was going over,'' she said. ''I ran past first and then had to go back and touch it again because I was so excited when I saw it cleared the fence. I get the chills still thinking about it. It was the most perfect time I could've ever hit a home run.''

With the high school season completed, Denny has continued to hone her skills. She has to if she wants to achieve her goal of playing at the Division I level.

Throughout the summer, the hurler makes the arduous drive to Boise or Twin Falls to practice with the Idaho Golden Gloves, a team comprised of players from the Treasure Valley and two from Twin Falls. Denny is the only one from southeast Idaho.

''To be a kid from this side of the state to be involved with that is pretty good,'' Barrus said. ''In the Boise area, everyone thinks they're better than everyone on the east side.''

The Golden Gloves saw Denny play last season and asked her to play in a tournament in California at the start of the school year. After that, she joined the team permanently.

With her summer team, Denny will play in high-profile tournaments in Oregon, California, Colorado, Illinois and Las Vegas - events that attract college coaches.

At the same time, she'll continue her routine of running and weight training, which she uses to strengthen her legs and core muscles. The constant pitching takes care of her upper-body work.

By Tim Flagstad

This document was originally published online on Thursday, June 19, 2008

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