Pitcher of the Year

Her father’s words stuck with Kathryn Nevard of Camarillo High throughout the season.

“He always says the junior year for pitchers is always the worst,” Nevard said. “So that kind of scared me.”

If Nevard ever took that fear with her into the pitching circle this season, she hid it pretty darn well.

Nevard went about her business her junior season as she always has- working the corners, throwing twice as many strikes as balls and showing little or no emotion in any situation.

“I play because it’s fun,” Nevard said. “You can’t win them all.”

Don’t be fooled by Nevard’s easy-going approach. The right- hander with the wicked screwball and accelerating riseball wins plenty.

This softball season, Nevard struck out 173 while walking only 15 in 154 innings and finished 16-7 with a 0.45 earned-run average to earn The Times’ Ventura County pitcher of the year.

Despite the fact that all of Nevard’s losses came against softball powers from outside the region, Nevard believes her father might have a point.

“I didn’t do badly but I don’t think it was my best year,” Nevard said.

Perhaps Nevard, who has struck out 388 and walked only 40 in 342 2/3 innings in three seasons, thinks her best is yet to come.

After pitching 13 shutouts, including two perfect games and three other no-hitters this season, she has set some pretty hefty standards for her senior year.

But steady improvement has been her modus operandi since she and twin sister Meredith started taking pitching lessons about eight years ago from Samantha Ford, a pitching great at Hart High and UCLA.

Although Nevard wasn’t thrilled with the amount of practice time, she soon relished the fact that the pitcher is the most important player in the game.

“I really like being in those tight situations on the field,” she said. “It makes everything more interesting.”

Nevard faced few interesting situations in the Pacific View League, a first-year league without any established competition. She was undefeated in 10 starts and was named player of the year.

Nevard was at her best against the best, allowing only four hits, striking out 18 and walking none in three Southern Section Division I playoff games.

“That’s why I play, to step up and see what I can do against those big hitters,” she said.

She proves it, pitch after pitch, year after year.