Foote: Summer time Ellyson looks to relish worrying her coach and then calming his fears | UL Ragin’ Cajuns
It is not that UL ace pitcher Summer Ellyson does not believe preseason intrasquad scrimmages are vital.
And yes, she understands that coaches have to maintain procedures.
Some particular athletes, while, just seem to always be primed and prepared for the games.
When the lights are turned on, anything specific occurs for them that a practice or a scrimmage just just can’t ignite.
Much like more than the weekend in Birmingham, Alabama, it took the UL softball team’s bats a tiny even though to warmth up.
So envision the newcomers on the No. 8-rated Ragin’ Cajuns softball team throughout this preseason. No matter whether they came from Arizona or Georgia or South Carolina, they likely read of this All-American pitcher named Summer Ellyson and couldn’t hold out to see her stuff in the circle.
As a result of the tumble and by means of intraquad scrimmages in January, that pitcher never showed up.
Oh, she pitched. She was there.
But more than likely, Ellyson was doing the job on this complementary pitch or that new mechanical alteration. She wasn’t actually pitching.
The ‘pitching’ that will soon be legend in these sections, she will save for the opposition.
“I’ve in no way noticed anything at all like it,” UL mentor Gerry Glasco laughed. “It’s remarkable what she does.”
Regardless of realizing Ellyson’s regimen for three seasons, Glasco nevertheless puzzled going into this very expected 2021 time immediately after another lackluster January.


There is getting a tiny bit of extra rest and then there’s the crack the No. 8-ranked UL Ragin’ Cajuns softball workforce is hoping finishes shortly.
She did not begin the period opener this previous Saturday towards Jacksonville Point out at the UAB tournament, but Glasco set her in to get out of a jam.
3 pitches later on, Ellyson acquired her initial strikeout of the year to finish the threat.
He commenced her the next working day towards host UAB and Ellyson tossed a three-strike shutout with only one stroll and seven strikeouts.
“What?” she was in all probability considering. “Isn’t really that what I am intended to do?”
“I talked to mentor Glasco on Saturday night time back at the hotel after the recreation,” laughed John Ellyson, Summer’s father and longtime coach. “He just started out smiling at me, shaking his head likely, ‘I’m accomplished. I can not determine that out. I really do not know how she does it. I’m tickled pink. I’ve just never noticed it just before.’ ”
Honestly, it is almost nothing new. Summer’s been Summer time during her pitching profession.
As a youngster, her father remembers telling her to go heat up only for his young daughter to say, “No, I’m good” with whole self-confidence.
“I’d say, ‘There’s no way you can be ready. You only threw 15 pitches,’” John Ellyson mentioned. “And she’d go proper out there and strike out the initial batter.”
It was that way in superior university as perfectly at Teurlings Catholic.
UL senior shortstop Alissa Dalton remembers when former Arizona Condition shortstop Jade Gortarez frequented the method past time.
“Her substantial university mentor Lauren Delahoussaye needed to get rid of her 50 percent the time since of the way she tactics,” he claimed.
And it ongoing through her college or university occupation.
“I sat subsequent to mentor Glasco’s wife for individuals (rough) scrimmages for the previous three several years and we have had those people conversations,” John Ellyson said. “I try to remember Overlook Vickie truly expressing, ‘I’m not fearful about Summer. Summer is likely to be Summer time. She’s great. Shift on to the up coming topic.’”
A 7 days in advance of the start out of this season, Summer time nevertheless hadn’t adjusted.
“I really feel the exact same,” Summertime claimed. “Really, my mindset does not transform. I keep quite continuous through the full fall and acquiring into the spring. I really decide on it up when the game titles get started. Which is just how I am. I like to continue to be calm and gathered right up until it’s time to clearly show all people what we’re made of.”
When anyone all over her may possibly be squirming during these iffy apply classes, Ellyson under no circumstances lets any individual see her sweat.
“I experience like that aids the relaxation of the pitching team,” she reported. “I just cannot exhibit that I’m nervous. Even if I am a very little jittery or no matter what it is, I feel like I have to continue to be relaxed and collected for everyone else.”
So the truth Ellyson is by now off to a 2- start with a .54 Era in the early likely is no shock to expensive old dad.


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In his learn approach, UL mentor Gerry Glasco was hoping for a bigger offensive punch from his No. 9-rated Ragin’ Cajuns.
“I’ve always experienced self esteem in her,” John Ellyson stated. “I know how she behaves, I have seen her mindset, I know how she thinks. I’ve found this I really do not know how lots of several years.”
And now that the year has essentially started, Glasco’s nerves are a bit calmer and all of a sudden it all tends to make perception yet again for her new teammates.
“We have been thrilled to see her accomplish as Summer Ellyson,” Glasco stated immediately after the first weekend. “I believe that had been our major concern in January in the preseason techniques. Would Summer months still pitch like Summer season Ellyson? And she answered each and every dilemma previously mentioned and further than anything at all we were predicted to see.
“I assume it was so essential for (her teammates) to see her pitch that way. I imagine that genuinely gave them a lot of self-assurance.”
Though Summertime just chuckles within.
