Columbus girl helps team win national softball title

Thaise Jessup’s career on the diamond began as a baseball player.

Last year, the Columbus resident began playing softball with the Indiana Magic Gold. This year, she joined the Indiana Gators and helped the team win the USSSA 9-and-under national championship.

“I just thought that it would be better hanging out with girls my age instead of playing with boys,” Jessup said. “I was really nervous about being with new people because I was kind of shy. Now, I feel like I really fit in with my team.”

Jessup, who will be a fourth-grader at Rock Creek Elementary, is the only girl on her team that was born in 2010. The rest, most of which are from the Indianapolis area, were born in 2009.

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“She’s one of our smallest players on the team, but she gives it her all at all times,” Gators coach Chad Baldwin said. “She’s a good bunter. When we ask her to sacrifice, she’s willing to do that. Anytime you ask the kid to do something, she’s willing to do it. She’s a great team player, a great all-around individual.”

The Gators allowed only nine runs in nine games in the national tournament, which was played in Branson, Missouri. Jessup primarily played second base and in the outfield.

“She was pretty good defensively,” Baldwin said. She made several plays at second base that helped save runs in bracket-play games. She’s a good little catcher, too. She could be on anybody’s team and be a top-tier catcher. She comes from a wrestling family, so she’s a hard-nosed player.”

At the national tourney, the Gators went 8-1 over six days, winning three pool play games and five tournament contests. They lost 1-0 in the first championship game to a team from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but then came back to run-rule that same team 11-1 to capture the championship.

“I think we got used to their pitcher,” Jessup said. ‘We went against the same pitcher. We learned her speed.”

Jessup and her teammates received rings and trophies for capturing the title.

“Just winning a national championship was awesome,” Jessup said. “It was a really great feeling, and I felt like we all need to stick together because it felt like a family when we won. It was really cool finding out how fast different pitchers pitch and how good of a team we were.”