Inside Pitch: Softball Great Jessi Warren… “My Top 10 List of Most Common Superstitions”

Extra Inning Softball correspondent Jessica Warren was a college All-American at Florida State and, in 2018, the third baseman helped the Seminoles win the NCAA D1 National Championship.

Since college, Jessi has been a professional player with the USSSA Pride and competed in Athletes Unlimited also.

Click HERE to read about Jessie’s thoughts about the Noles magical run five years ago…

In today’s “Inside Pitch,” she talks about superstitions in softball… she’s not a fan of the superstitious side but does believe a “routine” can be good.

Or maybe she’s just superstitious about that!

*****

We’ve all heard of them, and we all know what they are… for the most part.

For those who don’t know what a “superstition” is, it’s having a belief that doe not have grounds in logic and reasoning in the physical world.

For instance, the unwritten rule of not stepping on the line before game time because,if you do, it’ll bring bad luck, and you’ll have a bad game.

Like… what?!?

Who started that?

I think superstitions are OK, but what I believe makes them bad is the thinking that you must do them every single day or before every game the exact same way.

Your brain is powerful—you tell it something, it’s going to find a way to make that thought become reality, so telling yourself you MUST do these things, you mostly won’t and don’t.

Still, they do keep things fun!

Anyways, here is my list I’ve heard of from people through a Google doc I put out on socials…

My Top 10 List of Most Common Superstitions

1. “I have to put my left sock on, then my left shoe, then my right sock, then my right shoe.”
2. As mentioned above: “I can’t step on the chalk before game time.”
3. “I won’t talk about a no-hitter when my pitcher is throwing one, but will continuously talk about it if the other team is.”
4. “I have to eat the same meal before every game.”
5. “If I have a really good game, I won’t wash my socks.”
6. “I have to be at the field exactly two hours before game time.”
7. “I listen to the same playlist every pregame.”
8. “I hit the plate the same number of times before every at bat.”
9. “I only drink blue Gatorade during games, if there is a different color, I’ll only drink water”
10. “I always draw HE>I in the dirt before every at bat”

What do YOU think? Do you have any superstitions? Write us at [email protected] if you do and share yours!

I personally don’t have any “superstitions” but more so a routine.

I will tap my ear and back leg out of habit; I’ve been doing it since I was 12 because my idol did it and it has just become a part of what I do before I get in the box.

I now tap the ear to block out the unwanted noise, and my leg following to remind myself to not let my weight drift forward when getting engaged into my swing.

Defensively, I’ll mark (if I’m on dirt) the halfway mark from this to home to give me an idea of where I want to play during different hitters. Now that I play on turf, Ill mark it with my chalk that I use to keep my hands dry.

A lot of the superstitions mentioned about could also just be routine and these young softball players just haven’t really been taught the different between the two.

But to each his or her own… as long as it helps you win and do your very best!

Want to see a fun clip? Watch Amanda Lorenz, when back playing with the Florida Gators, try to intentionally jinx a no-hitter from the opposing team:

Send any thoughts, questions or story ideas you’d be interested in Jessi writing about to: [email protected]