Paige Runge '14 Recruiting Profile

I have played softball since I was seven years old and started pitching at age 10. I think softball runs in the family as my dad, my uncle and my three of my cousins all played baseball or softball as well while they were growing up. I also played volleyball as a libero from sixth to ninth grade but decided at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school to focus on softball. Playing softball has taught me a lot about working with other people, being competitive and being able to accomplish a common goal. I have found that being a pitcher, I am the one that the other team members look to for leadership and focus. My coaches have shared with me that one of my biggest assets is that I don't become rattled by people or a situation. I know that if I lose my composure or if my expression gives anything away, my teammates will feel it and the opposing team will take advantage of it. I pride myself on being someone that everyone gets along with. While I do have friends on both my high school and select ball teams, my first priority when I am with them is the game of softball. When I first started pitching, a couple of my early coaches and other parents told me and my parents that due to my height and weight, I was not going to pitch for very long and when I got to high school, I would definitely have to "give it up". There were times during the games when those same coaches would just never give me a chance to pitch even part of an inning, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. I believe my first big break was when I met the then current Lamar Softball Coach when I was at a volleyball team tryout. We struck up a conversation and he told me that he had an opening on the JV roster my upcoming freshman year and that if I wanted it, I needed to show him what I had and take it. I was so excited. During the fall ball games that season, the senior pitcher's dad was coaching our team and he took an interest in what I was doing and put together a game plan for myself and my parents for me to accomplish my dream of continuing to pitch. From there, I feel I have grown not only atheletically, but as a person. During my sophomore year, I became the 2nd pitcher for varsity and made an 18U select team. Having experienced that level of play early on has pushed me forward even more. Today, I am here. Though I may still be small physcially, and not the fastest pitcher around, I play with my heart and am careful to be a "solid" pitcher. Here are a few key points that you won't find in my statistics page: I don't throw "wild pitches". I average four pitches per batter. I have a first pitch strike ratio of 70% My strikes to balls ratio is 1.8 to1. I throw a mean curve ball. Academically, I strive to do my best. My high school is an accredited IB institution where those classes are considered as advanced placement. So far, I have a 3.71 GPA. In my free time, I like to draw and dabble on the piano. I am looking to find a school where I can continue to grow both atheletically and academically. Playing softball is one part of the equation, and having a good education is the other. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me.