MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball freshman pitcher/infielder Chandler Sparkman recently sat down with USAJaguars.com to discuss what strength she feels she brings to the Jaguar lineup, why she chose to come to South and who the most influential person in her life has been, among other topics.
Sparkman arrived at South Alabama after lettering five seasons at Decatur Heritage Christian Academy in Decatur, Ala. She ended career holding the Eagles' records for most strikeouts, home runs, RBI and no-hitters and was a four-time all-state selection earning those honors during her eighth, 10th, 11th and 12th grade seasons. Sparkman picked up first-team 1A all-state honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior. She also helped the Eagles pick up area and regional championships her eighth through 11th grade years. Sparkman also played one year of club ball for the Alabama Fury based out of Enterprise, Ala.
What do you feel is a strength that you bring to the team and why?
"From a hitting standpoint, I'm a power hitter so I feel I can help our lineup in that area. On the pitching side, I think I bring a lot of speed from a pitching standpoint. I think I can add another element to our pitching staff."
When you are able to get onto the field, what is one area of your game that you are looking at improving in this season and why?
"I definitely want to improve the consistency part of my pitching with my movement and spin. In hitting, I want to be able to place the ball in situational spots instead of just powering it."
How has the adjustment to college life gone for you?
"Like I mentioned earlier, the academic part of it has been fine, but from the social standpoint, it's been a little different. I come from a pretty small school where I just had 40 people in my class. We were a tight-knit group. You come here and there are so many people, but I'm a pretty social person, but I've definitely felt like a little fish in a big pond. It's been hard, but I'm making the adjustment."
Is there a teammate of yours who you look up to? If so, who and why?
"Kristian Foster. I really look up to her just because of the way she plays. She's such a consistent player both offensively and defensively; she just gets it done. Her attitude is always the same; she's focused, but she loves everyone. MC Nichols is another player. If you ever see her, she's always goofing around, but she works really hard."
Why did you choose to come to South Alabama?
"I'm a pitcher and coach [Becky] Clark has done a great job with the pitching staff here. She has a really good resume of pitchers that have come through here with Hannah Campbell, Farish Beard and Devin Brown. With her having Hannah here as an assistant is amazing. Coach Clark isn't just worried about whether or not you are just a good player; she wants you to have the right morals and get it done in the class room as well. I really liked the fact that she's more invested in us than just going out there and performing. The atmosphere here is great and it's a beautiful campus."
What type of player can fans expect to see out on the field when they watch you play?
"I expect them to see a player that's just loving what she does and having fun no matter the situation. One who's still going to compete and get the job done, but at the same time, she's going to have fun while she's doing it."
What are you majoring in at South Alabama and what do you plan to do after graduation?
"Right now I'm majoring in psychology, but I'm thinking about changing it. I'm not really sure about what I'm going to change it to yet. It's kind of up in the air. I'm sort of leaning toward changing it to political science, because I think I might want to work in Washington, D.C., maybe working with counter terrorism."
What is one interesting thing that Jaguar fans may not know about you?
"Probably that I graduated high school a year early and that I'm really young."
Do you have a favorite place on campus?
"Honestly the softball field and softball lounge. It's just some place I can go, hang out and chill."
What does it mean to you to be a Jaguar?
"I feel like coach has instilled a lot of pride in us. We take a lot of pride in being a Jaguar and in what the softball team stands for. It's just a great atmosphere to be in."
What is your favorite type of music to listen to?
"I would definitely say country music. My dad was in a blue grass band called 'Dollar Mountain Blue Grass.'"
What is your favorite memory that you have had so far playing softball?
"When I was in eighth-grade, I was playing with my high school's varsity team at a tournament in Decatur, Ala. Snow here in Alabama is rare and snow in March is even rarer, but it started snowing during one of our games at the tournament and continued to do it the whole tournament. We won the tournament and it was so cool to play in the snow."
What's your favorite form of social media?
"Snapchat."
What do you like to do in your spare time?
"I really like to paint, draw and read along with hanging out with my friends."
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
"It's definitely been my mom. My parents got divorced when I was four, so it's really just been the two of us growing up. She also played softball in college, so we really used that to connect. If I'm having trouble with my hitting or anything, she's been there to help me. She's been there for everything else also. She's also caught me, so we've just really bonded because of the whole softball experience. Until I got here, I've never really had a pitching or hitting coach; it's just been her."
If you could play another sport at the collegiate level, what would it be?
"It would be basketball. I love basketball. I like the quickness of the game. I played in high school and we went to the state tournament three times. I like playing in a big stadium and how emotionally and passionately you get involved with it. I love that part of it."
What kind of an impact do you hope to make on the team this season?
"I hope to have a positive impact on the team this season. I came in hurt, so where the impact is going to be is kind of up in the air right now, whether it's on the field or just cheering loud from the dugout. I just hope I keep a consistent, positive impact throughout the whole season."
What has the fall season been like for you dealing with the injury?
"It's definitely been tough dealing with the injury and not being able to play and watching all of the other freshmen being able to play. You come from high school where you've been the star athlete and then you come here and you have to work your way up since you are at the bottom of the totem pole. That's been hard, but it's also been fun and a nice adjustment.
"As far as the academic side, I went to a private school that really pushed academics hard so that hasn't been a hard adjustment. I graduated a year early, so all of my friends back in high school are seniors now and it's been a little difficult seeing them going through home coming week and other things and not being able to be part of that with them."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
—USA—
