Photo Gallery
And the Trip is Over
Posted on: July 31, 2006 at 10:42 AM by Angela Tincher
It’s finally come to an end. Although I’m excited to head back home, this has been an awesome experience for me. We started the series in Chicago with another interesting weather encounter on Thursday. After arriving at the field for warm-up, we learned that there had been tornado warnings issued for the surrounding areas. With the experience we’ve already had of typhoons and monsoons, I can’t say we were really surprised. The weather sirens went off and we had to be moved to a nearby academic building until things passed. I think the tornado warnings got exaggerated and were really for areas not too close to us. We just experienced thunderstorms, and were able to start the game a little late.

In the four-game series, we took three games from the Chicago Bandits. I was very pleased with how we performed, considering they are at the top of the league and we were finishing up a long trip. I was able to start three of those games as well, and it was nice to get back into that role.

Saturday night after our game, the coaching staff took us out for dinner and our “banquet.” Of course it was really just free food, and Coach Hutchins bought us all cheap plastic rings as a joke for our “championship” in Taiwan.

Now, I’m in the airport finishing this up as I head back east. So, thanks to all of you who have kept up with the site during the past month. It’s been fun for me as well to keep an account of all the things that I’ve experienced. We’re not sure what the future will be for this site in the coming year, but either way you can keep up with Tech Softball on hokiesports.com. And most importantly, I hope you’ll come out in the spring to Tech Softball Park and support us!

Tinch

U.S. 6, Chicago 4
Posted on: July 30, 2006 at 8:54 PM by Site Administrator
CHICAGO – In the final game of a four-game exhibition series, the U.S.’s World University Games Team rallied to upend the Chicago Bandits of the NPF, 6-4, Sunday afternoon at the Sports Complex on the campus of Benedictine University.

Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher got her third start in the series, going 3.0 innings. She allowed two runs on four hits while striking out two. She gave up a two-run home run to Stacy May, marking the first earned runs she had given up in the series. She left the game with a 5-2 lead, picking up her second win of the series. Brianne McGowan (Oregon State) and Katie Burkhart (Arizona State) combined to pitch the final four innings.

Trailing 2-0, the U.S. scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by Lauren Lappin’s two-RBI single and Norelle Dickson’s RBI-triple. The Bandits scored two more runs in the late to cut the lead to one, but the U.S. tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning.

Against the top team in the NPF, Tincher went 9.0 innings, allowing two earned runs (1.56 ERA) on nine hits while walking four and striking out eight. She got the start in each of the American’s three wins and did not pitch in the lone loss.

For the 12-game tour (the U.S. went 9-3), she made seven appearances with three starts. She gave up four earned runs in 22.2 innings for an ERA of 1.24 with 23 strikeouts.

Sunday’s game marked the end of a 26-day trip for Tincher. The team had a scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic Team, and then won the gold medal at the W.U.G. in Taiwan before taking three of four from the Bandits.

Check back later for Tincher’s final thoughts on the trip, as well as the final series.

U.S. 2, Chicago 0
Posted on: July 28, 2006 at 9:52 PM by Site Administrator
CHICAGO - Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher, Oregon State’s Brianne McGowan and Arizona State’s Katie Burkhart shut down the bats of the Chicago Bandits as the U.S.’s World University Games team downed Chicago 2-0 Friday night at Benedictine’s Sports Complex.

The game was the second in a four-game exhibition series. The U.S. won Thursday night’s game, 6-5.

Tincher got the start for the second night in a row and was again impressive. She went 4.0 innings, allowing no runs on two hits while walking two and striking out two to pick up the win. In two games against the top team in the NPF, Tincher has gone 6.0 innings, allowing no earned runs on five hits while walking four and striking out six.

McGowan pitched the next two innings, giving up a hit and a walk, to pick up the win and Burkhart picked up the save by tossing a perfect seventh inning, striking out the side.

A scoreless game heading into the top of the seventh, Tina Boutelle reached on error and scored on Lindsey Schutzler’s inside-the-park home run to the gap off former Georgia Tech pitcher Jessica Sallinger. That would be all the U.S. staff would need as the trio gave up just three hits in the game.

Sallinger gave up just three hits to the American team with Kristie Fox and Callista Balko picking up the other two hits.

The two teams will continue their series Saturday with an 8:05 p.m., Eastern game. The contest will be broadcast on CSCN (DirecTV 640).

U.S. 6, Chicago 5
Posted on: July 28, 2006 at 00:20 AM by Site Administrator
CHICAGO - Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher was superb in her 2.0 innings of work in helping the World University Games Team defeat the Chicago Bandits of the NPF, 6-5, Thursday night at the Sports Complex on the campus of Bendictine University.

Tincher, a rising junior from Eagle Rock, Va., went a pre-determined 2.0 innings against the best team in the NPF. She allowed two unearned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out four.

Kristie Fox (Arizona) had three hits for the U.S. while Samantha Findlay (Michigan) had two RBI. The U.S. held a 2-0 lead before the Bandits (22-5) scored two unearned runs on Tincher in the bottom of the second inning.

The two teams were delayed by a tornado warning before finally getting the first of four exhibition games in. The two will play again Friday and Saturday at 8:05 p.m., Eastern, before finishing up Sunday at 4:05 p.m., Eastern.

Good To Be Home
Posted on: July 27, 2006 at 11:08 AM by Angela Tincher

Me with Emily and Phoebe at the airport.

I'm so happy to be back in the US! Sorry for the delay in posts, but finding Internet here on campus has been a challenge. But we're good now. Anyways, although playing internationally was a great experience, we are definitely enjoying the comforts of home. On our final day, our translators from the World University Games showed up bright and early to ride with us to the airport and see us off. They even brought us each a good luck necklace and our names written in Chinese characters.

The flight back was another long one, but luckily no typhoons stood in our way this time. We left our hotel Monday at 5 a.m., in Taiwan, their time, and arrived in Chicago around 3:00 p.m., on technically the same day. In reality, we traveled for almost 24 hours but lost 12 hours in the time change. So as you can imagine, we were dealing with some jet lag.

After arriving at the dorms where we're staying at Benedictine University, some of us went straight to a Mexican restaurant named Chevy's for our first meal. Although it wasn't really American food I guess, we had all been craving it during the trip to Taiwan. We were lucky to have really nice dorms here, since they're apartment style with a living room, kitchen, and laundry room between four bedrooms and two baths. I'm sharing the apartment with Sarah Fekete (Tennessee), Tina Boutelle (Texas), and Lindsay Schutzler (Tennessee).

From left, Tina Boutelle, Sarah Fekete and myself in the Chicago Bulls' locker room.

Me sitting at Michael Jordan's old locker. It's not used by anyone anymore.

Me outside the Bulls' arena and in front of the MJ statue.

Tuesday was a free day for us and since we're staying outside Chicago in a town called Lisle, we took the train into the city for the day. After a more American meal at Chili's, we were lucky enough to be given a tour of the Chicago Bulls' facilities. Courtney Bures (Mississippi State) and I know a former Virginia Shamrocks coach, Anthony Hyde, who is now the Bulls' publications manager and he was nice enough to show us around. I definitely have to thank him for that, because it was amazing to see their locker room and even walk on the court.

The Chicago Bandits home field is here at the University, so Wednesday we walked over for a practice at 1 p.m. It was nice to be out of heavy humidity and also have a chance to work out the jet lag. We'll be splitting the innings in tonight's game which is at 7:05 our time (8:05 Eastern). I'll be starting and taking the first two innings, followed by Brianne McGowan (Oregon State) and then Katie Burkhart (Arizona State). [NOTE: A link to the live stats for all four games is in the schedule section on the right. The Bandits Web site also has a link for audio and stats] I've heard that one game during the series will be televised, but I'm not sure if the specific date has been decided on. [NOTE: Television listings say Saturday night's game will be broadcast on CSNC, which can be found on Channel 640 on DirecTV]

And now for a few questions ...

Camille Gaito in San Rafael, CA asks: Shin Splints? Did you ever have them [before college] and if so, how did you get rid of them? I read your bio about the stress fracture last year and saw you in Huntington Beach two weeks ago with a leg brace. I'm a rising high school junior and had to miss my whole junior year and summer 18-Gold seasons because of shin splints (MRI diagnosed) that won't go away. I'm desperate. I pitched at 14U and 16U ASA Nationals and want to play in college.

I had shin splints a couple times in high school and fall workouts after arriving at Tech. My high school gym teacher showed me a few exercises that you can do while sitting, simply keeping your food flat on the ground and then lifting your toes to flex the muscle on the front of your leg. I've also done similar things with our trainer, Nate Miker, where he would hold against my toes for resistance and I had to pull them up (like you're pushing your heel down). You can do that to each side and also push down. This will strengthen those muscles and help to alleviate the pain. Also, one of the best ways to ice is to freeze a Styrofoam or Gatorade cup of water. Then you peel back the cup as you massage it on the hurt area.

Brian in Gaithersburg, MD asks: Hey Tinch, many congrats on representing Hokie Nation and our country in such a wonderful light. As mentioned many times before, you're making us all very proud. How has your sleep schedule been with the 12-hour time change?

We all had trouble with the time change, especially in the first few days. It was hard to stay awake until bedtime the first night, and then we would wake up really early. I actually woke up around 7 a.m., which is definitely not typical for me, for most of the trip. We went through the same thing after getting here to Chicago and I was up at 6 a.m., the next day. Sarah Fekete and I had already finished a movie by the time it was 8:30. I think we're all getting adjusted now and having some of the comforts and foods that we missed helped a lot.

Bob Quesinberry in Pace, FL asks: In softball you pitch about every day during a tournament. What exercises do you do to try and remain strong in each of those successive games?

For the most part, I feel like the pitching I do during practice helps get me in shape for game situations. We also lift a few times a week and condition during practice. For lifting, it's a good balance of exercises for both upper and lower body, and the conditioning we work in long and short sprints. If I ever feel like I'm struggling with endurance or need more of a workout, I'll add in cardio on the treadmill or elliptical. Overall, that combined with the first few games of our season usually makes me feel ready to pitch successive days.

Well, we've got a game tonight, but first some shopping to do!! Wish me luck tonight.

Tinch

Back to the States We Go
Posted on: July 23, 2006 at 3:23 PM by Angela Tincher
So we finally turned it around and got the Gold! After a couple rough outings against Chinese Taipei, we came back Saturday morning to win an extra-inning win against Japan. Of course, we had to face Chinese Taipei yet again in the gold medal game and they were tough as always. We had to go extra innings again, but pulled it off on a game-winning hit by Samantha Findley (Michigan).

Immediately following the game, the medal and closing ceremonies were held on the field. We were looking forward to hearing our National Anthem, but unfortunately they played the FISU anthem yet again. FISU is the organization behind the tournament, and their song was played before every game and twice during the ceremony on the field. With only 45 minutes back at the hotel, we had to shower and get ready quickly to return to Chang Jung University for the tournament's closing party. They provided us with food and entertainment, both not quite what we're used to, and each team had to do a performance that represented their team or culture. We didn't know about this for very long, so we only had a few minutes to think of something. The team decided on a dancing game and singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Thailand performed a section of one of the popular shows in their country, and South Africa did a traditional dance. Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Australia all did a combination of singing and cheering.

Today our interpreters picked us up at the hotel to show us around their city. Our first stop was the temple and fort that I had already visited earlier in the week. The streets were packed with shops and vendors today, so some of us were able to do some last-minute shopping while the others toured the sites. We drove through the town where we could see the shoreline, and then they took us to sample a typical Taiwan dessert. In English, it was basically "bean jelly." From what I understood it was made of soybeans and sugar water, and very different from a typical American dessert! We also visited a Confucian temple, which was much simpler than the other temples we visited because of the difference in religion.

After returning to the hotel for dinner, Sarah Fekete (Tennessee), Tina Boutelle (Texas), and myself went on another outing. We were helping Tina look for rice-gathering hats as souvenirs because some of the team had found them earlier in the week. The concierge tried to point us in the right direction, but once down the street we couldn't find the place he tried to describe. Luckily, we had made friends a couple days ago with an English-speaking local woman who owned a jewelry and trinkets booth. She loved us, and asked around to find out where we could go. When she couldn't direct us there easily, she asked us to watch her booth and she hopped on her bike to ride to a market and buy the hats for Tina. You can only imagine three American girls sitting at a Chinese souvenir booth in the middle of a crowded street comprised completely of locals. After a few minutes of the usual stares, she returned with the hats and we made a few more purchases from her booth to thank her.

So, it's Sunday evening here and I'm finishing up our last evening in Taiwan. I'm very anxious to get to Chicago and have American food again. It's also going to be nice to kind of fit in … and use my cell phone again! This morning alone two kids came up to me at breakfast to ask for a picture. The boy said it would be going on his summer vacation report for school. It's funny how unusual we are here and how many people have asked for pictures with us. While a lot of people stare, you realize they're just curious and usually very friendly. They just want to talk to us and they get really excited for a simple "hello."

And to catch up on a few questions:

George in Norfolk asks: Tell us about your sister. Is she younger and can she play ball? Does she like Va Tech?

What a good question :) Abby is 10 and beginning to get involved in softball. Obviously she's been around it all her life, so with me out of the house, she's getting the chance to have our parents' full attention. She's just having fun with it now and going to play a couple of travel tournaments this summer to see how she likes it. Lucky for my dad, she's dying to be a pitcher so he gets to go through all of this again! From what I've seen so far, she's been blessed with more athletic talent than I was, but it's up to her if she decides to really pursue softball or pitching. And of course, she's a big Hokie fan and loved coming down for a football game this fall as a variation from the usual softball events. So we'll just have to wait and see.

I have to pack everything up and get ready for an early flight in the morning, so next time I post it will be back in the US!

Tinch

U.S. Strikes Gold!
Posted on: July 22, 2006 at 08:45 AM by Site Administrator
For the second game in a row, Samantha Findlay (Michigan) came up with the game-winning RBI in the eighth inning, this time scoring two runs to lift the United States to a 4-3 win over Chinese Taipei and to the gold medal at the W.U.C.

Trailing 2-1 after giving up a run in the top of the eighth, Sarah Fekete (Tennessee) was placed on second base to start the inning. Cambria Miranda (Oregon State) reached on an error and Christina Clark (Fresno State) reached on a fielder's choice before Findlay knocked in the winning runs for the second game in a row.

Jennie Ritter (Michigan) went all 8.0 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits. Lindsay Schutzler (Tennessee) had two hits and two RBI.

The Americans had previously lost twice to Chinese Taipei, 4-2 and 5-2.

Check back later for thoughts from Tech pitcher Angela Tincher on the team’s big day and their gold medal!!!

U.S. Wins!
Posted on: July 21, 2006 at 11:37 PM by Site Administrator
Samantha Findlay’s (Michigan) RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the U.S. team a 3-2 win over Japan Saturday morning at the W.U.C. The U.S. trailed 2-1, but scored a run in the fourth inning to tie it up. Katie Burkhart (Arizona State) got the start, going 4.0 innings. Jennie Ritter (Michigan) pitched the final 4.0 innings to pick up the win.

After the U.S. escaped trouble in the top of the eighth inning, Sarah Fekete (Tennessee) started the inning on second base due to the International Tiebreaker Rule. A sacrifice bunt by Cambria Miranda (Oregon State) moved Fekete to third base before Christina Clark (Fresno State) and Kristie Fox (Arizona) were both intentionally walked, setting up Findlay’s heroics.

The U.S. will now take on Chinese Taipei at 1 a.m., Eastern Time in the gold medal game. Japan earns the bronze medal. Taipei has beaten the U.S. twice already this tournament.

One Day Left
Posted on: July 21, 2006 at 10:24 AM by Angela Tincher
We had another tough day today and Chinese Taipei came away with the win, 5-1. We fell behind early and I came into the game in relief in the 3rd inning. I gave up one run the rest of the game, so I felt okay with my performance, but it's hard to finish without a win. I guess on a positive note we can still meet our goals by winning two games tomorrow and taking the gold medal.

Unfortunately, we have to start early at 9 a.m., our time (9 p.m., Eastern) with the winner of Japan/Australia [NOTE: Japan won, 2-0]. With a win, we would advance straight to the gold medal game and a rematch with Chinese Taipei at 1 p.m., our time (1 a.m., Eastern). It's not an ideal situation for us, but Coach Hutchins likened it to the Olympic team's situation in 2000. We have to decide to make a comeback and have confidence in each other and ourselves.

Anyway, that was just a short update for tonight. I'll have more tomorrow and hopefully I will also be in a much better mood after a couple wins.

Tinch

A Tough Loss
Posted on: July 20, 2006 at 10:29 AM by Angela Tincher
Today we had a little more trouble than we faced in our games so far. We played Chinese Taipei, and they came out strong with back-to-back triples in the bottom of the first inning. They tacked on two more runs over the first two innings, and I came into the game in relief in the third inning. I felt pretty good about my pitching, and I ended up closing out the game. I went four innings, giving up two hits with a run and I think four strikeouts.

Unfortunately Chinese Taipei stayed strong defensively as well, making some amazing plays to end our scoring threats. We were only able to get two runs, as they had a good pitcher with a rise ball that coaxed a lot of fly balls out of our hitters. Luckily, we’re basically in the same position to start the medal round even though we dropped to the No. 2 seed. Chinese Taipei is the No. 1 seed and we play them in the first round tomorrow at 1 p.m., our time (1 a.m., Eastern). The winner advances straight to the gold medal game on Saturday. I’m scheduled to be in relief again tomorrow, and I feel pretty good about our chances against this Taiwan team after seeing them once. Hopefully we’ll come out strong and have better luck than we did today.

And to answer a couple questions before bed …

Jim Dodd in Loudon TN asks: Why don’t players wear hats when playing?

I don’t really have a great answer as to why hats have gone out of style, but girls predominately prefer visors to hats. I think they’re easier to deal with for us, especially with a pony-tail and such which probably sounds kind of silly. Still, it’s usually just a few players who wear a visor and not the whole team consistently. I don’t wear anything unless the sun is terrible and a lot of players prefer to just wear a pair of sunglasses as opposed to anything. At these international tournaments however, I’ve noticed teams like Australia and Chinese Taipei still go for hats.

Chris White in Richmond VA asks: I actually just got back from a trip to China in a city just south of Beijing. I got to practice with a baseball team there (random local friend invited me), but since baseball is so difficult to get together and play, it seemed none of the kids playing were any good. So I’m curious ... is softball at all popular in Taiwan, and/or are their team very competitive? I also would like to know, what has your favorite food been?

The first part of this question was probably partially answered in the game update. Taiwan is obviously very competitive and they take it very seriously. Not only did they have a good crowd at the game, but also they were very loud and into every play. Several young teams were in attendance as well, which shows that there is a good foundation to the sport and it’s getting very popular. As for the food, the problem we’ve run into is the language. Most food on the street is advertised in Chinese, and the sellers don’t speak English. We’ve been hesitant to try anything that we don’t know what it is. I tried some noodles the first day in Taiwan, and of course I’ve had rice and some other various simple things. They were all fine but where we’re staying, there isn’t a lot between nice restaurants (that aren’t really local food) and small unknown food places.

So we’re closing in on our last three days here. I’m getting a little homesick and pretty anxious to get back in the States. I think we’ve all come to appreciate a lot of little things we take for granted. That’s all for tonight, medal round starts tomorrow!

Oh, one last thing, I have to say Happy 22nd Birthday to my teammate at Tech, Kelly Brown. Happy B’Day, KB!!

Tinch

Sightseeing in Taiwan
Posted on: July 19, 2006 at 11:35 AM by Angela Tincher
Today was the first day since we’ve been here with no rain! It was very hot and sunny all day long, which almost made me miss the rain. We played Australia this afternoon and came out strong from the first inning. Jennie Ritter (Michigan) started and pitched a good four innings before Brianne McGowan (Oregon State) came in to finish. Bri only got to pitch one inning because we ended up run-ruling the Aussies 9-1 in five innings. She’s gotten the short end of a couple of our slaughter rule games this week so she’ll start tomorrow against Chinese Taipei to catch up on a few innings. I’ll be splitting tomorrow’s game with her, pitching in relief.

Since we had most of the morning off, several of us went sight-seeing in Tainan City. We got to see several temples and a fort that’s been around since the 1600s (BELOW). We also walked one of the oldest streets in Tainan, which was filled with small shops and vendors.

This is us at the fort I was talking about. (clockwise from top left) Cambria Miranda (Oregon State), Brianne McGowan (Oregon State), Calista Balko (Arizona), me, Jackie Rinehart (Stanford) and Norelle Dickson (Oklahoma).

The temple we visited

Time for a few questions.

Glen in Dumfries, VA asks: After all of the accomplishments you and your teammates have had up to this point, does it ever sink in just how special you and all your teammates are? I mean, at this point, the entire softball world in the United States is extremely proud of each of you. -Go Hokies! -

I think it’s still sinking in for me that I’m getting the opportunity to play for the U.S. Not too long ago, we were all competing against each other, and then we transitioned into playing together in a really short period of time. I’ve been surprised how easily we came together and our team chemistry has been great. I’ve also been amazed at the response to this site alone with support for the team and myself, so thank you all for that. We are really proud to have this opportunity and I hope we can finish strong and come away with a gold medal this weekend.

Neil B in Stephens City, VA asks: Tinch - first of all, congratulations! Hokies everywhere are proud to have you represent VT and the USA, and we know you will make us all proud. I’d like to know how the people of Taiwan are reacting to the U.S. team and the other countries participating in the games.Thanks!

So far, the people of Taiwan seem happy to have us here but most of all very curious about us. I guess it’s not common for Americans to be in the area, so they like to talk to us or even just take pictures of us. I think the vendors on the streets are the most happy to have us here because they know we’ll be buying souvenirs. They always try to bring us into their shops and advertise what they have to sell. It’s been fun bargaining with them for good prices.

After the game today, a group of young Taiwan softball players from a local team swarmed us around the bus. They were so excited when the rest of the team got off the bus to sign autographs for them. They wanted to take pictures of us and we had to suggest that they get in the pictures too. It was great to see how excited they were as they jumped around after getting autographs. Some of them ran up to give us hugs and thanked us after we finished and had to get back on the bus.

Jeff in Riner VA asks: I’ve coached youth softball in my area for four years and I’m still learning about the pitching aspect of the game. My daughter and I attend several Tech games so I can try to learn more about the pitching. My daughter is 7, left handed and already pitching an 11-inch ball. But her size has her at a disadvantage for the distance. What did you do to strengthen your arm for further distances when you were younger?

When I was younger, I did a lot of distance pitching to help with my power at the regular pitching distance. I would go back to around second base and try to throw low and hard so it would strengthen my legs. Then, when you go back to the regular mound it seems so much shorter and easier. It’s important to make sure you really use your legs so you don’t put too much stress on your arm.

That’s all for tonight … one more game tomorrow and then we start the medal round. [NOTE: The U.S. team (4-0), win or lose against Chinese Taipei (4-0), has already guaranteed itself of a medal. The U.S. will play Taipei again in the first game of the medal round with the winner advancing to the gold medal game. The loser will have to face the winner of the seeds 3/4 game with the loser of that game taking the bronze medal. The winner of that game will advance to the gold medal game.]

Tinch

Another Win For the U.S.
Posted on: July 18, 2006 at 1:23 PM by Angela Tincher
Another win for USA today. The Tainan City fields were playable, so we got to see the new park that was just completed this summer. Needless to say, it was a much better arrangement than we had yesterday. The day started off sunny and scorching in addition to the Taiwan humidity. We were layering on the sunscreen and sweating through warm-ups but then the clouds came over after an inning or so.

We faced Japan today, and it was funny to see how the different languages interacted in the game. When their coach tried to argue with the umpire, he had to call a translator over to help. Also, when an umpire tried to warn a Japanese pitcher about something relating to her form, they had to use a lot of hand signals and act it out to communicate.

We were tied with Japan 1-1 going in to the bottom of the 5th inning when I came in to pitch. I pitched the last three innings, getting the win as we went on to win 4-2. It ended up raining once again, but they let us play through the storm. And while it made things really messy, it was good to get another game in. That raises our record to 3-0 for the tournament with two games left before the medal round. We play Australia tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m., our time (3:30 a.m., Eastern) assuming the rain has finished yet again.

And now, as promised, for a few questions..

Craig Fain in Knoxville, TN asks: First I am excited that a Virginia Tech Hokie is getting the chance to play for our country!! First question, what has been the one culture shock that has surprised you the most during your trip? Also what is the one pitch that you feel you need to improve on or learn to becoming a better pitcher?

While it’s obvious we aren't in the United States, I haven't really experienced anything in day to day culture that is radically different from us. The food is very different, and it's weird having to be careful about drinking only bottled water. The people here seem very nice but it’s obvious we really stick out. A few of us went to a supermarket Sunday and people literally stopped where they were and stared at us. Children really seem curious about us and they love trying to talk to us with the English they know. If our bus stops at a red light people outside usually spot us and start waving. One thing that I'm still getting used to is not being understood. Many people speak English but it is usually very limited and a lot of pointing or gestures are needed to communicate. When you inquire about buying something from a vendor or store, they either write it down on a pad of paper or have a calculator where they can type the number in for us.

And for the second part of the question, I really want to improve my curve ball so I can have another direction of movement. It's coming along right now and I've been able to use it a lot since I've been traveling with the USA team.

Sierra in Rio Rancho NM asks: I'm in the sunset Little League Major Softball and this is my fourth year playing and my first year pitching. My question is how do you handle the negativity, and cheers from the crowd? Also how do you focus?

To me, I try to let cheers from the opposing crowd fuel me to pitch better. The excitement and energy makes me want to prove that I can handle it even more. It's important not to take it personally and just realize they are cheering for their team and not necessarily against you. If you ever have to deal with a really nasty crowd, sometimes you just have to laugh it off and be determined not to let them get to you. I try to focus on just the catcher and I, one pitch at a time just like in practice. I sometimes run over the situation in my head or think about what to throw the batter so I'm not distracted by the things going on around me. Unfortunately, the mental and emotional aspect of the game is hard to practice and it may come with time and maturity. Just don't get discouraged, try to stay positive and learn from every game situation that you can.

The questions have been piling in so I'll try to get a few more answered ASAP. But for now, I better get some rest for the Aussies tomorrow.

Tinch

Finally ... Some Games Are Played
Posted on: July 17, 2006 at 1:22 PM by Angela Tincher
The weather cleared up today and we were finally able to start playing! We started the day with a game against South Africa and won 15-0 in four quick innings. Next was Thailand, and that was also a shortened game as we won 7-0 in five innings. I was in relief for that game and finished the last two innings. [NOTE: The box scores for both games are linked in the schedule section]

Our success on the day might have been related to the interesting warm up that got us going. We had to play in another city (sorry I can't pronounce or spell it) [Fong Shin Softball Field in Kaohsiung] and their facilities were not quite prepared to say the least. When they walked us to the warm up site, we found a small overgrown track sandwiched between apartments and a school building of some sort. The track ran right up against the buildings and the grass hadn't been mowed anytime recently. Our hitters hadn't got a chance to take batting practice since we've been here so they had to try to make it work (BELOW). Luckily, they only hit a couple windows that turned out to be very resilient. Children came to watch on the balcony of the school building, and other locals congregated on the street. They cheered when anyone connected for a deep hit and enjoyed practicing some simple English on us.

The field was also in unusual condition. Since there has been so much rain, and of course they weren't planning on holding any games there, the grass hadn't been mowed in a long time. There was also a lot of standing water so any balls hit to the outfield just died for one of those reasons.

We face Japan tomorrow at either 3 or 7 depending on how the Tainan City fields have recovered. I'll be splitting that game with Katie Burkhart (Arizona State) and I'm very excited since they are tough competition for the US. Thats all for tonight, I'll have another update tomorrow and answer a few more questions.

Tinch

A Few Snapshots
Posted on: July 16, 2006 at 11:56 AM by Angela Tincher
Hey guys, it looks like we’re going to be TENTATIVELY playing South Africa tomorrow at 1 p.m., our time. [NOTE: the updated WUC schedule is at the right]. Wish us luck!

This one is Tina Boutelle (Texas), Courtney Bures (Mississippi State), Sarah Fekete (Tennessee) and myself before being introduced at the opening ceremonies July 15. There’s really not much to say about it, but that was just our sign & flag for the procession.

Today during our trip to the mall, Jackie Rinehart (Stanford), Sarah Fekete (Tennessee), myself and Norelle Dickson (Oklahoma) took a walk around the area and stopped at this place. There was more interesting architecture to the building, but we had locals take the picture for us and we didn't communicate very well. They had a good time using English to count down to the pictures and then we tried to practice our newly learned way of saying 'thank you.' It must not have been very good though, because they just laughed and said 'bye bye.'

Off to bed. Games in 13 hours.

Tinch

Still No Luck
Posted on: July 16, 2006 at 10:45 AM by Angela Tincher
It's STILL raining! The weather is getting frustrating because it feels like we've been waiting or traveling for such a long time. Saturday morning we went to the track at Chang Jung University during a break in the rain since we hadn’t had much activity during our long trip across the ocean. Coach Hutchins had us run a mile and then we did some sprints to get used to the humidity and get our blood flowing. We were able to do some defensive drills (on a tennis court) and the pitchers threw there as well. I’ve already seen that adaptation is one of the biggest keys to succeeding in international competition. It was definitely not ideal conditions for a practice, but we had to take what we could get. After practice however, we got some amazing news. Our staff decided to move us from the dorms, and it turned out to be a five-star hotel in Tainan City! Our beds before had just a thin pad (no mattress), and the shower floor and bathroom floor were basically the same thing so it was difficult to navigate.

Friday evening, after moving to our new hotel, we had the opening ceremonies at the Tainan City Hall. A group of children danced and played the drums, and then several prominent community members and tournament officials spoke, but we understood very little!

We were supposed to play today, but with the way the weather has been, you wouldn’t think any softball fields in Taiwan were playable right now. We left at 10:30 a.m., to go back to the university and practice in the gym. The gym floor looked like it had been taken up, so once again we had to adapt as a rough concrete floor was our practice surface. Apparently we endured a monsoon today, and there was even more standing water as we ran back to the bus. It got calf-deep by the bus and we all ended up taking off our shoes and socks so everything didn’t get completely soaked.

With our afternoon off we took a trip to a local mall, but I think something got lost in translation. Although it was mostly a grocery store, it turned into a blessing and we were able to buy some sodas, Doritos and other Americanized snacks. We have two translators for our stay in Taiwan, Emily and Phoebe, who graciously attempted to teach us some common phrases. We learned hello, thank you, please, and how to ask “how much?”

Most of the tournament details are up in the air at the moment. Several bracket types are floating around and it all depends on the weather. We’re going to change venues, but it isn’t clear for how long. We’re going to travel tomorrow so we can get in two games at 3 p.m. (3 a.m., Eastern) and 6 p.m. (6 a.m., Eastern). I don’t think anyone knows who we’re playing for sure, so as soon as more information is available I’ll try to get that posted.

And now for a few questions …

Robert in Richmond asks: Where do you stand in the pitching rotation on the team? Do they have a rotation or are they going to pitch who they feel is the freshest?

The coaches told us today that they like to split the games so no one has to go too long without getting some innings. It will most likely be two pitchers a game, so three to four innings each. With two games tomorrow, we should all be able to get around half a game. As for who starts or gets what games, I haven’t heard anything but I’m sure some kind of rotation will be established after they see who responds best during the first couple games.

Ben in Pulaski asks: Angela, I am a faculty member at VT and big fan. I have a five-year old daughter who is excelling at T-ball. At what age did you start playing softball? When did you start pitching?

I started playing Little League softball when I was nine years old. I’d tried several activities before like dance and gymnastics, none of them lasting very long, so I think my parents thought that it might just be another phase at first. When I was 10, I pitched one inning to try it out and see what I thought. I loved the excitement and control of the game so I practiced that fall and winter to prepare for the next season. I kept getting more serious about it and began playing with the Roanoke Scrappers 14 & under a couple years later.

I better get some rest since we finally get to play tomorrow. Check back for game results, assuming the rain finally allows it!

Tinch

Finally Here!
Posted on: July 14, 2006 at 1:26 PM by Angela Tincher
Well, it only took two days but we finally arrived in Tainan City, Taiwan. Our rescheduled flight was supposed to leave at 9 a.m., our time (9 p.m., Eastern) this morning from Hong Kong, but it got delayed an hour and a half due to the typhoon. When we eventually got in the air, we suffered through some rough turbulence, got put in a holding pattern to land, and then finally it was declared too unsafe and we had to go ALL the way back to Hong Kong. I was ready to get off the plane for a few minutes and stretch, but they decided to take off again immediately after refueling.

The second flight was even worse once we got back to the airport area and tried to make a descent. A couple people (luckily no one on the team) got sick from the turbulence that was throwing us around. And then, after all that, they decided we couldn't land again! We were diverted to Taipei, which is on the other side of the country, and had to bus five hours to Tainan.

We arrived at 11 p.m., our time (11 a.m., Eastern) and once again had a very long day. I'm sad to say, so far the food hasn't been too good. But I'm hoping it will improve since we're out of airports and convenience-type stores now. They actually brought us McDonald's a few minutes ago and even though it had gotten cold, I think it was the best meal any of us have had since leaving California.

Oh, and since our flights got cancelled and such, we never got our luggage until arriving in Taipei. So, we’ve all been wearing the same clothes … kinda gross, but we got to shower at the hotel in Hong Kong … talk about roughing it!

It's still very windy and raining here and I think the storms are supposed to stay around for a while. The tournament start has gotten pushed back to Sunday now but I'm sure that’s subject to change again [note, the new WUC schedule is posted on the right side].

It's nice to be off airplanes but the dorms aren't exactly five-star. I'm rooming with Tina Boutelle (Texas) and Sarah Fekete (Tennessee), and we all have lofted beds that are up at the ceiling. At least we have Internet, which I'm very excited about since phone calls are pretty expensive here.

That's all for now, as it’s well past midnight here. Hopefully I'll have some more pleasant things to write about soon!

Tinch

Who'll Stop the Rain?
Posted on: July 13, 2006 at 11:23 AM by Angela Tincher
Hello from Hong Kong! Yes, it's supposed to be Taiwan, but a typhoon cancelled our flight. We began the day leaving for the airport at 6 a.m., PT. The first flight to San Francisco was delayed about an hour and a half so we didn't get off to a good start. We made the connection to Hong Kong, and that flight lasted almost 13 hours. They ran four movies and some TV shows on the flight, and we still had time to kill.

Upon arriving in the airport, we were greeted with the news about our flight to Taiwan. Of course, they provided us with hotel rooms and meal vouchers since we have to stay overnight. It’s a little after 11 p.m., my time as I type to you from my hotel bed. I had to shell out 100 Hong Kong Dollars to use the Internet, which I’m told is $12.86 American dollars.

Our new flight leaves at 9 a.m. (Hong Kong time), and with all the time zones we've been in lately it's all running together for me. We saw several Australia players in the airport so they're having the same problem as we are. Hopefully the weather will clear for tomorrow so we can be on our way.

Since I’m stuck here in the hotel room, let’s go to the mailbag.

Dave Pair in Blacksburg, VA asks: What is your opinion of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) deciding to end softball as an Olympic sport after the next Summer Olympics? I hope that you are able to go to China in 2008! Good Luck in the WUC!!

Obviously, I'm not in favor of the IOC's decision. It's hard for a sport like softball in which the Olympics are the highest point you can achieve. It's something that I know a lot of young girls dream of, like I did. To know that that may not be an option now is kind of disheartening since we don't have the level of professional play like a sport such as baseball. I hope that taking softball out of the Olympics does not damage the popularity of the sport, and maybe a stronger and more successful pro league can develop out of the situation.

Bobby Wills in Hampton VA asks: How tough was the flight and the time zone change? Are you sad that you can't play with the VA Legends in the 23U ASA Nationals later this month? We will all miss you, but we are so happy for you and wish you the best always. You are very special to all of us from the VA Legends Angela!

Overall the flight wasn't too bad, and the time change hasn't hit hard yet. With the flight troubles, we got pretty worn out and it timed out perfectly arriving at the hotel late evening so we can sleep some of it off. I'm not excited about sitting on a plane for another 13 hours coming back, but at least we have awhile before doing it again and hopefully it will be with a gold medal! I'm definitely sad that I'm missing Nationals at the end of the month. It was going to be exciting playing with some top ACC players as well as fellow Shamrock alumni. I wish you all the best as well and thanks for everything.

Well guys, I'm going to try to sleep off some of this jet lag now, but I'll update again when we actually make it to Taiwan.

Tinch

Last Day in the States
Posted on: July 11, 2006 at 5:19 PM by Angela Tincher
Last night was an awesome experience. When we arrived to the field, a fairly large crowd greeted us. Granted, they were really there to see the National Team, but it was still exciting to be a part of it. The stands were packed for the game and I thought we did really well. If a few close plays would have went differently, the game would have been even tighter. After the game they had us do autographs for a while, and even though players like Finch and Osterman obviously drew the biggest crowds it was still flattering to have people waiting for ours. I also got a chance to see Erin Ota's parents and sister, so I was really excited to have some Tech fans in attendance.

Katie Burkhart and I also decided to take some pictures to document our first time wearing the USA uniform, so I'm posting one of Stacey Nuveman (middle) and us. She came over to ask us a favor, and we took advantage of the chance to grab a photo.

We just got back to a Chula Vista hotel where we stay for our early flight out tomorrow. I just got the flight info, and it's a little overwhelming. A total of 16 hours in the air, plus six total hours of layovers in San Francisco and Hong Kong, plus we lose 12 hours in the time change. All of this is going to make for a LONG day. Luckily, we got the day today off and are going to Mission Beach in an hour!

Time for two quick questions:

Willie McCall in Roanoke, VA asks: How have your teammates treated you & have you been able to help your pitching by watching the other pitchers on the USA team?

My teammates have all been great so far. We all get along really well, and it's weird to think that we were all playing against each other just a couple months ago. I've also made some great friends with the pitching staff, and we've discussed pitches and game situations as well. It's been nice to know that they struggle with some of the same things I do, and we have a lot in common. I've definitely learned something from each of them.

Nate in Cleveland asks: How is the training room there? Good Luck Tinch!

The training room in Chula Vista was great, and we made use of the cold tubs after several long practices. We have a trainer named Carolyn who's traveling with us, but of course nothing can compare to the treatment and care I got from you for two years! Hope Cleveland is treating you well and we're all going to miss you lots next year!

Since I have to get ready for the beach, that's all for now ... My next post will be from Taiwan!

Tinch

U.S. 7, W.U.G. 1
Posted on: July 11, 2006 at 11:08 AM by Site Administrator
IRVINE, Calif. - The best softball players in the country took the field Monday night as the U.S. National Team took on the World University Games Team in a scrimmage as both teams finished up preparations for their respective upcoming multi-country tournaments. The National Team, winners of three straight Olympic Gold Medals, took the victory, 7-1.

After a scoreless opening stanza, the National Team took the lead in the second inning on a three-run home run by former UCLA star Andrea Duran.

Arizona State’s Katie Burkhart got the start for the WUG team, going 2.0 innings while giving up three runs. Tech’s Angela Tincher appeared in relief, going 2.0 innings. She got groundouts from Jessica Mendoza and Stacey Nuveman to start her first inning of work, but ran into a little trouble after that, giving up four straight singles and three runs.

In her second inning of work, she settled down, inducing a groundout by Natasha Watley and another from Nuveman. She even struck out Caitlin Lowe of the NCAA champion Arizona Wildcats – the only strikeout by the WUG staff all evening. She gave up three earned runs on five hits while walking none and striking out one. Oregon State’s Brianne McGowan pitched the final 2.0 innings to wrap up the game, giving up a run on two hits.

The National Team will head to Oklahoma City Tuesday for the World Cup of Softball while the World University Games Team will head to Taiwan on Wednesday for its tournament.

Be sure to check back for Tincher’s thoughts on the game, as well as her impending trip across the ocean.

Live Stats
Posted on: July 10, 2006 at 8:59 PM by Site Administrator
Live Stats to tonight's game against the U.S. National team can be found here

Game time tonight is 10:30 Eastern, 7:30 Pacific.

Off to Irvine
Posted on: July 10, 2006 at 10:59 AM by Angela Tincher
Yesterday was our last day at the Training Center. We finished up with a doubleheader scrimmage against the National Team in the afternoon and it was really exciting to play against many players we all watched growing up in the Olympics and such. I think that it went pretty well overall. It was a great experience and our hitters did a great job against tough pitching. We also held them down pretty well defensively, which is hard to do against a line up with no weak spots. Personally, I thought I tried to be too precise instead of trusting my pitches, relaxing, and just throwing. On a positive note, I hope to use what I learned yesterday in the exhibition game tonight in Irvine. Game time is 7:30 local time, so if you’re in the area, come on out. We’re getting close to the trip to Taiwan ... only a couple more days until we fly out!

Now for a couple questions ...

Dwight Barnette in Blacksburg, VA asks: Do you have any scouting on which of the other countries will be your competition? Will any of the games be available in any form on the net? Good luck!

Japan and Chinese Taipei will probably be our toughest competition. Japan won the 2005 World Cup of Softball, handing USA its first loss in a REALLLLYY long time and both of these teams have been tough competition for the USA in recent years. Australia is also traditionally a great team - they won a silver medal in the Athens Olympics - and in general softball has been on the rise internationally. I don’t think we can afford to take any teams lightly because of our position as a target with the traditional success of USA Softball.

As far as the games being on the Internet, I’m told they’ll have live stats for the game Monday against the U.S. team. As for when we’re out in Taiwan, I don’t think they will, but that could change. Your best bet is to check back here for game reports from BJ, as well as my thoughts.

Tony Kimberlin in Clifton Forge Va., asks: Hey Angela, First of all, congratulations on all your accomplishments. You are an inspiration to a lot of young ladies in our area who play the game and look up to you. What player would like to most like to meet, or who have you enjoyed meeting the most? Keep up the hard work and we will miss you at Tech’s softball camp this week.

I wish we had more time to be around the National Team, but for the most part it’s just been quick run-ins between practices and in the Dining Center. Katie Burkhart (Arizona State) and I sat by Stacey Nuveman and Jessica Mendoza at breakfast one morning, and I still have a hard time finding this all normal. Most of them I’ve met are very nice and easy to be around, and you almost forget they are such talented Olympic athletes. I would love to get pitching advice from any of the pitchers, and find out what techniques work for them. Michelle Smith is one of the well known pitchers from the first Olympic Team and while she has retired from playing since then, I would love to meet and talk to her since she’s such an expert.

Well like I mentioned before the exhibition game is this evening, so we have a lot to do. We’re checked out of the Training Center and headed up to Irvine in a few hours. Wish us luck, and hopefully I’ll get another update out before the LONG trip overseas.

Keep those questions, coming, too!

Tinch

Not a Fan of Snakes
Posted on: July 08, 2006 at 11:30 PM by Angela Tincher

I took my camera out Saturday to capture one of my least favorite things about Chula Vista: SNAKES. I'm not a snake person and while I think it's just a precaution, it's funny to see these signs all around the training center. In this picture, you can see the softball field, where I've been spending most of my time here!

We scrimmage the U.S. National Team twice Sunday here at the facility before playing them Monday night in Irvine.

Have a great weekend,

Tinch

A Full House Marathon ... Along With Some Q&A
Posted on: July 07, 2006 at 2:41 PM by Angela Tincher
Hello from the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista! I finally figured out how to get wireless internet in my room, so I’m very excited. I arrived here Wednesday evening on the last shuttle from the airport. Since we were the last group, we had little time to collect ourselves and grab some food before meeting with the rest of the team and coaches. We’ll have the challenge of only a week to come together as a team, but with the level of excitement and focus I’ve seen so far I think everything will fall in place.

Two-a-day practices began yesterday, starting with conditioning testing bright and early at 8 a.m. That was followed by a defensive practice and then we had a break until hitting and pitching at 2 o’clock. Our schedule will be pretty much the same until Sunday when we scrimmage the National Team here.

I mentioned last post about all the stuff we got. We also got our jerseys and uniforms and I will be wearing No. 41. That’s kind of odd, but I wore 14 in high school, so it’s close, just flipped. They handed out some random numbers like 51, 36, 28 and 25, but that’s what we’ll be wearing.

My roommate for the week is Tina Boutelle (Texas), and we’re sharing a suite with Katie Burkhart (Arizona State) and Sarah Fekete (Tennessee). I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all of them and seeing what their respective programs are like. We pretty much just crash after practices and watch TV. Yesterday it was a Full House marathon when no one felt like changing the channel.

Hopefully this evening we’ll find a movie theater since Pirates of the Caribbean 2 opened and everyone wants to see it before we leave the country.

I didn’t realize before arriving that the National Team would be here the whole time we are. One of the first people I ran into Wednesday was Crystl Bustos when trying to find my room. They have practices right after ours as well, so it’s been exciting getting to be around them. It’s been interesting and exciting hanging out with them. Last night, Cat Osterman came over to hang out with Tina, so we all sat around talking for a while. You see all these players on television, but it's nice to also see that off the field they can be just like us.

Since it's been a few days since my last post, I’ve piled up some questions so lets get to some of those ...

Bobby Lane in Jacksonville, Fl asks: My daughter is 11 and pitches for a 12U travel team. What advice would you give a young person who really wants to pitch at the HS and College level? Good luck in Taiwan and we know that you will positively represent the Hokie nation!

Madison Noel in Clifton, VA asks: Angela - My granddad grew up in Eagle Rock, like you! I am 9 years old and have played softball for a season; what's the best way to practice pitching at my age? Good luck on your trip...Go HOKIES!!

To answer both these questions, I think pitching around 9-11 really comes down to developing basic mechanics. I didn’t start pitching until 11, but I spent a lot of time in my basement pitching to a blanket my dad hung up just so I could get down the fundamentals. I did that over winter, before I even got outside with him catching. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be comfortable with pitching mechanics before you throw in the stresses and distractions of a batter and game. With practice, all things will fall in place but it’s important to have fun and not get discouraged. I sometimes threw around 60-100 pitches a day (not every single day) but it varies with everyone and you don’t want to push too long and develop bad habits. For high school, it’s important to develop consistency and you might want to look into getting instruction through a pitching coach, camps, etc. And playing for those travel teams is really important in exposure to colleges. Plus, the experience of ASA or Gold prepares you for the competition.

Steve Austin in Buchanan, VA. asks: Angela, Congrats on all of your accomplishments. All of your friends are proud of you and following your career closely. My question is given all of the demands of pitching at the D-1 level, how are you able to keep up so well with your academics?

I learned quickly after arriving at Tech that time management was going to be important. You really have to make use of the times between practices and classes, even though a nap may sound really good. Luckily, a typical first-year schedule is mostly basic stuff so you have a little time to adjust.

Also, one of the biggest assets we have is the academic services available to athletes. Study hall is required for at least your first semester, and there are tutors, seminars, and other programs available. We have a lot of resources open to us, and if you use them and manage time wisely, that solves a lot of problems.

Bobby Swain in Christiansburg asks: Tinch, Are you excited about trying new and different foods during the trip?

I am very excited to try new foods in Taiwan. Those that know me know how much I love to eat, and I’m hoping that I will like the food there. I’m typically not a picky eater, but we’ll just have to see what exactly they put in front of us. We’ll have some kind of buffet at the dorms where we are housed, and it will serve a variety of foods native to Taiwan as well as the U.S.

I also have to say thanks to Callie in Greenbrier, Ark., and Gary in Danville, along with the other people who have had such nice things to say. I really appreciate all of your nice comments that you've sent in. That's all for now, I've got to run to lunch.

Tinch

It All Starts Tomorrow
Posted on: July 04, 2006 at 5:19 PM by Angela Tincher
Tomorrow is the day! I leave from Roanoke at 12:30 p.m., and fly to San Diego via Chicago. I'm still not sure it's all hit me yet, but I know I'll be nervous and anxious tomorrow. This past week has been a little hectic in trying to prepare for such a long trip. Packing up my apartment in Blacksburg took quite a bit of time, since I’m switching places and complexes and my move out/in dates fall while I’m gone.

Luckily, my parents are transporting boxes over during my trip so I get out of that! Thanks Mom & Dad :) I also had to pack my bags with everything I’ll need for a month and, like I always do, I’m sure I have way more than I’ll ever need.

On a more exciting note, I received a box of apparel from USA Softball. I have to say I was a little bit like a kid at Christmas going through my new stuff. We each received a sweatshirt, bat bag, hitting jacket, cleats, warm-ups and several Nike dry-fit shirts that are ours to keep.

A couple of people have written in asking about our pre-Taiwan schedule. Once in Chula Vista, we practice twice a day beginning July 6 at the Olympic Training Center. That’s where we are also housed and fed. On July 10, we travel to Irvine, Calif., for an exhibition game against the U.S. National Team. We will be playing in the hometown of Erin Ota so maybe she can recruit some Hokie fans. If you're in the area, we'll be playing at the Col. Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park so come on out and watch us!

And then on July 12 we’re off to Taiwan, but we’ll actually arrive on the 13th because of the long flight (12 hours!) and the time difference. From there, we have a few days to get acclimated to the time difference and new culture before playing a tough Japanese team on July 15.

That’s enough about the trip, now on to some questions…

Jim Wajciechowski in Richmond, VA asks: How fast have you been clocked on your fastball? You really throw hard! Good luck on your trip. I hope you really enjoy the travels.

I’ve been clocked at 67 mph. I usually throw around the mid-60s but, especially after getting to college, I concentrate more on movement than speed. Batters can catch up with speed, but I use my rise and drop balls to move up and down in the zone. Movement and location are key at this level.

Dave Stafford in Blacksburg asks: Do you miss being able to bat? How is your foot feeling? Good Luck and I used to play slow pitch softball at Eagle Rock softball complex.

I don’t know if I miss batting, or if I just wish I was good at it! I do sometimes miss being involved in that part of the game, but my teammates are much more talented than I am in that area so I’m happy to let them handle it.

I think it gives me the chance to focus solely on pitching and have a break between innings to collect myself. And speaking of the Eagle Rock softball complex, that’s where I've been pitching and running while at home.

And to address another question I received from a former trainer: I have to thank my SID, Bryan Johnston. We simply know him as BJ, but I have to thank him for all his help in this blog and Hokie softball in general. He put this all together and is responsible for all the award nominations, press and media throughout this season for not just me, but the whole team. You could say he’s the “glue” that holds us together. He’ll have a lot of late nights in the next few months updating this site for you, with me being 12 hours ahead. Thanks BJ!!

Well, I still have to finish packing. I’ll update again from Chula Vista. Happy 4th of July!

Tinch

Answering Your Questions
Posted on: July 02, 2006 at 9:41 PM by Angela Tincher
Thanks to everyone for the questions that have already come in! Unfortunately, I can’t answer them all but I’ll do my best. I’ve already gotten a few about my leg, so we’ll go ahead and get that out of the way.

Larry Grunewald in Napa, CA asks: Angela - You have generated a lot of fan interest in Tech softball, and we are all proud of your accomplishments! My question: How are your legs holding up? Is there anything you can do to help get you through next year's season at full strength as Tech aims to become ACC softball champion? Good luck in Taiwan!

Thankfully, so far my leg is doing great. I’ve been working more on strengthening the muscles to try and take the stress off the bone and lately I’ve had no pain at all. This fall I hope to re-evaluate my pitching form and try to get to the bottom of what keeps causing the whole injury. I think that combined with continued rehab and strengthening should do the trick for next year.

Rudy Picardo in Miami, Florida (formerly Springfield, VA) asks: Other than the coaches, is there a particular player on the US squad that you hope from learning from?

I’m very excited about being around the amount of talent on my team. If I had to pick one, it might be Jennie Ritter from Michigan since she has just finished up her collegiate career with a national championship from 2005. She is also a pitcher and is an experienced veteran in the NCAA post-season along with international play.

Wayne Massey in Bluefield asks: Angela, have you had any success in developing a curve ball? Also, do you employ a change-up in order to keep the batter off balance and uncertain of what to expect? God bless, and I look forward to following your progress in Taiwan ... and afterwards. Wayne

I’ve had success lately with my curve ball, and was actually able to use it a lot the last time I was in Chula Vista. I’m so excited that this pitch is coming along since it gives me another direction of movement. And, I do employ a change-up as I think it can be one of the most important pitches.

Good batters always catch up to speed, and it really helps to have something that different to switch things up and keep them guessing.

That’s all for now, I’ll try to post again before leaving for Chula Vista on Wednesday. I appreciate everyone keeping up with me and all the good questions! Keep sending them in and I’ll pick the best of the batch to answer.

Tinch

Welcome Everybody
Posted on: June 29, 2006 at 11:28 AM by Angela Tincher
Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out this site and keeping up with me as I begin to prepare for the World University Games in Taiwan. Since I started pitching, I've always hoped to have the opportunity to play for the USA program. Having never been to Taiwan will make this an even more exciting experience. I'll have my camera and hopefully get some good pictures to document my 26-day trip.

The trip will take me from California, to Taiwan, and then Chicago, so be sure to check back for updates from each of these very different locations. Also, if you have any questions you'd like me to answer, then go ahead and submit them and I'll try to get to a couple each day.

Thanks again and hopefully I'll have an update once I get out to Chula Vista!

Tinch