« Softball 2014

Sara Nevins

School
South Florida
Position
Pitcher
Major
Multidisiplinary Behavioral Healthcare
FLD%
.958
ERA
1.21
W-L
26-7

Classroom

Nevins will graduate this semester with a degree in Multidisiplinary Behavioral Healthcare. After graduation she plans to pursue a career with helping children that suffer from disabilities such as autism.

Character

Nevins has had to battle through some adversity throughout her stellar four-year career as a Bull and no time exemplified her character and strength more than last season. Nevins came into the season having to adjust after having offseason knee surgery. It was the first time in her career that she had to play while not being 100 percent healthy. Nevins did not let the surgery affect her and was still able to pitch extremely well and got stronger as the year went on, finishing with a 26-9 record and 1.20 ERA. However, the most emotionally trying situation Nevins had to deal with in her career came last season, two days before the BIG EAST Tournament. Her father suffered a heart attack and had to go into open heart surgery the day before the team’s first game in the tournament. Even with her dad going through surgery, Nevins went a perfect 3-0 in the tournament and did not allow a single run in 22.2 innings while leading USF to its first BIG EAST Tournament Championship. She was also named MVP of the tournament.

Community

During her time at USF, Nevins has volunteered her time on several different occasions to charity events and other causes. She participated at the Stampede of Service event at USF for three years, volunteered her time at the Alpha House for battered women and children in Tampa and attended the Women’s Leadership Symposium with Dee Dee Myers. Nevins also volunteers at metropolitan ministries and participated in the Best Buddies program at USF. While with team USA, she played tee ball at the Children’s Center of Oklahoma City for disabled children with long-term hospital stays.

Competition

Through only three seasons of competition, Nevins already owns the USF all-time strikeout record (804) and is within reach of breaking multiple pitching records during her senior season. She is one of the most dominant players in program history and has earned numerous awards for her accomplishments on the field. They include: 2012 & 2013 NFCA All-American, NFCA Mideast All-Region First Team selection 2011-13, 2013 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year,2013 First Team All-BIG EAST Unanimous selection, 2013 BIG EAST Tournament MVP, 2011 All-BIG EAST First Team and 2012 All-BIG EAST Second Team. Nevins has also been a top 25 finalist for USA Softball National Player of the Year for the past two seasons and is on the watch list again this year. After last season Nevins was named to the USA Softball Women’s National Team (one of 18 players to earn a spot) and helped lead them to gold in the Pan American Games Qualifier. Nevins has also thrown four career no-hitters and one perfect game in her career. She has finished in the top 10 in the country in ERA for the past two seasons (1.12 in 2012 for 4th & and 1.20 in 2013 for 6th). Nevins also set the single season wins record with 31 in 2012, helping lead USF to the program’s first ever appearance in the Women’s College World Series.