Facing adversity, Heather Van Landingham has stepped up and led Tampa to an 18-10 record.
The senior pitcher for the Spartans has overcome the loss of fellow starter Deanna Henriott to post strong numbers for the Spartans this season.
After a loss to Francis Marion University on March 18, Van Landingham rebounded to toss three consecutive complete game shutouts and a fourth straight complete game victory in which she only allowed one unearned run.
Her efforts have recently been rewarded with back-to-back Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Week honors.
“She likes having the pressure on her,” UT Head Coach Leslie Kanter said. “I think she’s doing well.”
Van Landingham attributes much of her success this season to the spins she gets on the ball.
“The ball’s just been moving really well this year,” Van Landingham said. “It’s been my strongest point.”
Van Landingham’s recent performances have dropped her earned run average to 1.54 while holding opponents to a .178 batting average. She holds a 10-5 record in 17 appearances this season, all of which have been starts. Five of her 15 complete games have been shutouts.
It hasn’t all been easy for Van Landingham, however. Recently, she began regularly visiting the training room to work on her ailing knees.
“It’s been rough,” Van Landingham said. “Now I’m just working on getting stronger. I want to be able to throw the same way in the first inning as I do in the seventh inning.”
Coach Kanter is well aware of the pain Van Landingham is dealing with.
“She’s hanging on barely, physically,” Coach Kanter said. “Her knees are really hurting her.”
Despite the physical setbacks, Van Landingham’s performances have played a key role in the team’s rise through the conference standings.
The Spartans are currently 18-10 with a 9-3 conference record. They have won 10 of their last 12 games, and three in a row.
“We’re doing better than people thought we would,” Van Landingham said. “We’ve picked it up a lot since the series against Nova Southeastern.”
Agreeing with Van Landingham, Coach Kanter was also unsure how the team would rebound after losing many of the key players from last year.
“I wasn’t sure how we would do after losing six starters from last year, but we’re doing better than I anticipated,” said Coach Kanter.
UT hopes to continue its hot streak this weekend when Rollins, currently the top ranked team in the Sunshine State Conference, visits. As usual, Van Landingham is expected to start two of the three games in the series.
“I’m ready [and] I’m excited about it,” Van Landingham said. “It’s always been a big rivalry.”
The series provides Van Landingham with another opportunity to do what she does best: pitch under pressure.