A small plaque is given to the player recognized as Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball pitcher of the week.
Olivia Paszek owns five such mementos — each awarded to her at some point during the first half of her Franklin College career.
Somehow, Paszek, a senior left-hander and the Grizzlies’ ace, has yet to be honored this season despite a 10-1 record, with every victory being a complete game.
The Franklin native is enjoying her best season of what has been an extremely successful college career. Paszek’s earned-run average has gotten lower each spring, from 2.52 as a freshman to her current 1.31.
“Olivia is having a great season, especially after coming off a year where she had an injury that kept her out for about 10 games,” Grizzlies coach Butch Zike said. “It’s location. It’s speed. It’s her composure.
“She’s one of the 10 to 15 best Division III pitchers in the country.”
In April 2017, Paszek was sidelined with tendinitis through her left forearm and elbow and a strained left wrist. She wears a soft protective brace when working out, but not during Franklin College games.
“Surgery was not required,” said Grizzlies pitching coach Joe Paszek, Olivia’s father. “She basically didn’t do any throwing from the injury last April through the summer, did a lot of core training, which turned out to be the best thing she could’ve done.
“I think it made her a stronger pitcher.”
Olivia Paszek maintained her fitness by attending CrossFit classes in Franklin with twin sister, Grace, the Grizzlies’ starting first baseman. It prepared Olivia for what she hopes is her best softball season yet.
“Honestly, I think it’s because it’s my senior year. I want to push myself,” Olivia said.
As a sophomore, Paszek was named to the All-HCAC first team after winning a school-record 15 games. She’s on track to surpass that mark easily this season.
“She’s just a battler. Olivia never gives in,” Zike said. “That’s the good thing about this team. We have a lot of tough-minded individuals.”
Even in her lone loss this season, a 1-0 decision at HCAC-leading Transylvania on Tuesday, Paszek was dominant. Pitching 9 2/3 innings of three-hit ball, she struck out 14 and didn’t walk a single batter.
The performance lifted her career strikeout-to-walk ratio to 4.6.
It’s difficult for Paszek to pinpoint her best win this season. Prior to her masterpiece at Transy, she recalls Franklin’s 7-1 decision over visiting Rose-Hulman on April 5.
Paszek fell just one inning shy of completing her third career no-hitter, striking out nine.
At 4-2, the Grizzlies are tied for second in the HCAC standings. They hold a 17-5 overall record entering today’s home doubleheader against Bluffton.
Paszek, an elementary education major, is doing her student teaching at Hendricks Elementary School in Shelbyville and is the process of looking for a full-time teaching job. Both Paszek sisters eventually would like to coach high school softball.
Before that day gets here, maybe Olivia will finally pick up another HCAC pitching award.
“It does motivate me,” said Paszek, referring to having last won a plaque as a sophomore. “It would be nice to get it. It’s a good keepsake.”
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Year-by-look statistics of Franklin College pitcher Olivia Paszek:
<strong>Season;IP;W-L;BB;K</strong>
2015;108 1/3;11-6;23;103
2016;132 2/3;15-6;32;109
2017;110;10-6;16;100
2018;69 1/3;10-1;15;82
Totals;420 1/3;46-19;86;394
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