Villa Maria Academy’s Ariana Butler is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The sophomore hurler recently tossed a no-hitter against Mount St. Joseph’s, striking out 16 batters. Of the first 99 batters she has faced this season, she has struck out 41 of them. She is also the top batter on the Hurricanes, with a batting average of .500. One of her pitching coaches is former Villa Maria hurler Maddie Abbott, who holds the state record for strikeouts in 2015. Off the field, she is president of the school’s Biology Club and an officer with Villa Maria’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program.
Q: What is your favorite memory of your no-hitter against Mount?
A: My favorite memory would have to be facing the last batter in the 7th inning. My adrenaline was very high and I was a bit nervous since no batters had gotten a hit, nor scored. I had two strikes on the batter and knew that I could not throw anything over the plate. My final pitch was a rise ball, which I consider to be my second-best pitch. The rise ball is a great pitch with two strikes as long as it rises and is not down the heart of the plate. Before throwing the ball, I reset myself mentally to stay relaxed. I saw the batter make contact with the ball, only for it to shoot straight up in the air towards our shortstop, who made a great catch to end the game.
Q: What do you consider your best pitch? What aspect of pitching are you working on the most?
A: I would consider my curveball my best pitch. I have a lot of confidence in this pitch and can throw it for a strike or get a batter to chase the pitch. Currently, I am working on improving the amount of power I have when pitching, meanwhile maintaining spin and accuracy.
Q: As a pitcher, after facing a hitter a couple of times in a game, you probably have a better idea of what to throw her late in a game. Can you give us an example of how this has worked in your favor?
A: Gaining knowledge on batters as the game progresses helps me determine what pitches to throw depending on the outcome of their past at bats. For example, if I am facing a batter that has crowded the plate in their past at bats to reach the outside pitches, I will start to throw more screws or inside rise balls to jam them.
Q: What do you think has been the most important thing you’ve learned recently regarding hitting?
A: As a slapper, I have learned to use all my “tools” – my bunt, soft-slap, and power slap. Being able to execute all three when needed has been a big game changer for me because I am able to scan the field and determine where the best place to put the ball will be so I can get on base.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in softball – what sparked your original interest in competitive softball?
A: I first started playing softball when I was about 8 years old. I was really into basketball but wanted to try other sports to see if I liked them. Softball just seemed to click with me and I enjoyed being on the field. I began playing travel softball when I was 11 and truly fell in love with the sport and knew I wanted to continue playing at an elite level.
Q: I understand that Maddie Abbott, who holds the state strikeout record, is one of your pitching coaches – tell us a little about what she has taught you about pitching.
A: Maddie Abbot and William “Doc” Miller have been wonderful pitching coaches. They have helped me improve my movement pitches tremendously, especially my rise ball. Maddie was a rise ball pitcher in high school and has shared her knowledge and given me helpful pointers, allowing me to develop it into an effective pitch.
Q: What is your favorite ballpark and why?
A: My favorite ballpark was at a complex in Marlton, N.J. I like this complex because the fields were very organized and clean. There was a snack bar that served pretty good food as well. Also the outfield was made of turf which was nice because I did not have to worry about any holes in the grass.
Q: You wear uniform jersey No. 21 for Villa Maria softball – was there a reason you chose this number?
A: I chose No. 21 my freshman year because at the time I was No. 3 for my travel team and 2 plus 1 equals 3. This year I am No. 77 on my travel team so I feel that 21 is still significant, if not more for me because it is a combination of both my old and New Jersey numbers.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.
A: On game day I listen to upbeat music to get myself pumped up and in the “beast mode” mindset. I eat fruit or drink some type of juice before the game to boost my energy as well. I like to converse with my teammates as well before the game to check in with them and get myself into the game mindset.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Villa Maria Academy? What do you think you might like to major in at college? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite academic course at villa is math. I really enjoy working with numbers and solving equations. In college I would like to major in computer science and either double major or minor in international business. I am very interested in the engineering field because it is very broad which gives you a lot of options for a career.
Fun facts – Ariana Butler
Favorite TV show: Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Favorite movie: The Princess and the Frog.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Money Longer by Lil Uzi Vert.
Favorite team: Philadelphia 76ers.
Favorite place to visit: “The beach during the summer.”
Favorite pre-game meal: Turkey Sub Sandwich and potato chips
Other extracurricular activities at Villa Maria: Orchestra, Biology Club (president), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (sophomore officer), Athletic and Spirit Home room Representative, and Technology Club.
Family members: parents Aaron and Janet, younger brothers Julius and Amari.
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
