As a 10-year-old, Brandi Scoggins decided she had reached the apex of her brief pitching career.
The Portland State sophomore told her father and coach, Jim, that she no longer wished to practice pitching, even though she enjoyed plunking batters for fun. Jim Scoggins made a fateful deal with his daughter: He would buy her catching gear if she would dedicate a year to learning the position.
“I’ve loved it ever since,” Brandi said. “I love having control. I love seeing everything. The center fielder and I, we can see absolutely everything on the field. It’s good to see people make amazing plays, and you see every part of it.”
Scoggins, a Chino, Calif., native, is coming off a stunning freshman campaign for the Vikings that garnered her second-team NFC All-Pacific Region honors as well as the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Co-Freshman of the Year award.
Head coach Amy Hayes said Scoggins was a late find and that the Vikings are lucky to have her. The all-region honor is special, especially to win it as a freshman, she said.
“I don’t think it fazed her at all. It’s very hard to become an all-region player at Portland State,” Hayes said. “I think it speaks volumes as far as her abilities and where she can go [now] to get that accolade as a freshman.”
Scoggins had a .336 batting average with 13 doubles and 27 RBIs last season, while managing a thin pitching staff led by ace Mandy Hill, who threw a school-record 283.2 innings. Scoggins is batting .319 this year for the 6-9 Vikings and has amassed three doubles and 10 RBIs.
Scoggins said her job, aside from knocking in runs, is all about developing relationships with her flame-throwing partners in the pitcher-catcher pairing known simply as the battery.
“Mandy and I have a year behind our belts as far as having a good relationship. It’s all about finding their momentum and what they want to pitch and adapting to their personalities as well as your own,” Scoggins said.
Hill said Scoggins provides the team with leadership and confidence, adding comic relief as well. And while Scoggins is certainly no mind reader, Hill said she has a close relationship with the revamped pitching staff.
“She calls almost every single thing I’m thinking. So we’re always on the same page. I’m totally confident with her catching everything I can throw back there,” Hill said. “It’s huge to have someone who you are totally confident in. It’s a big part of the game. She’s in control.”
Hayes, a former pitcher, said she understands how difficult the catcher’s job can be. She said Scoggins brings so much energy and passion to the game that sometimes it would benefit her to allow a “calmness” to take over.
Hayes also said she would like Scoggins to commit to getting in better playing shape, due to the wear and tear that occurs throughout a lengthy season.
“It’s tough being a catcher. She’s got to find a way to manage four [pitchers] who have completely different personalities and bring different things to the table,” Hayes said. “I think one of Brandi’s best aspects is her love of the game. She has such a passion for it and she plays hard. She makes other people want to be around her.”
Scoggins said she is already dealing with pain in her arm, but it is not debilitating.
“No matter what position you’re on, you’re going to get hurt. Everybody pushes through it every single day. It really shows their character, that they can push through it and that they love the game and have passion for their teammates as well,” Scoggins said.
Scoggins credits her father with helping her become the player she is today.
“He was always my coach, ever since I was a little kid and started at age 5. Father-daughter relationship and coach-daughter relationship, there was no real differentiation there,” she said. “He pushed me so hard that I finally got to this level.”
Scoggins, whose father coached her from ages 5 to 14, played shortstop and outfield as well as pitcher. The differences between pitching and catching are stark, she said.
“When you’re in the pitching circle, the attention is on you. When you’re a catcher, you’re helping the attention toward that person,” Scoggins said. “I like giving the attention more than receiving it.”
Scoggins and the rest of the Vikings laid out some serious goals this year, including winning the PCSC championship and returning to the NCAA Tournament, which may throw some attention their way.
“We want to take it game by game as far as getting to our goals, which one of our goals is definitely winning the conference championship and replaying what we did the year before I got here,” Scoggins said. “We’re getting better every game. It’s a build-up process.”