Mike White is part of a rare breed of college coaches.
Most coaches and assistant coaches rarely coach at the same time that they actively participate in the same sport. But White, one of two Oregon softball assistant coaches, took a two-week absence from the team at the end of January to travel to New Zealand with the USA men’s fastpitch team to compete in the World Championships.
It was White’s sixth world series. He won four medals when he played for New Zealand — gold in 1984 and 1996, and silver in 1988 and 1992. In 2000, the New Zealand native switched sides and earned a bronze with the USA team. In February, USA missed playing for a medal by one game while White was 2-0.
Those experiences — pitching against the best players in the world — have given White the background to coach Oregon’s four pitchers through the ups and downs of each season.
“I think I’ve been in every situation you can have out on the mound,” said White, who is in his second season at Oregon. “So I try to put myself in the pitchers’ shoes and try to give them some insight to some of the things that I’ve done to be successful and help them through those situations. It’s tough out there in the middle — it’s just you and the hitter. A lot of it is in your mind.”
The mental game is one that every pitcher plays with themselves and with each batter. During winter break this year, Oregon’s pitchers received letters from White with tips to help them control the mental aspect of their game.
“He taught us it because he uses it,” Ani Nyhus said.
Nyhus, a junior transfer, came to Oregon this season with a national championship with Central Arizona College and as the 2003 Junior College Player of the Year.
“Coach White trains us to be smarter pitchers,” Nyhus said after earning one of her two Pacific-10 Conference Pitcher of the Week awards earlier this season. “He’s taught me how to be a pitcher, and not a thrower. I used to just kind of stand out there and throw hard and I got away with it.”
White and Nyhus worked together during the offseason to reconstruct Nyhus’ pitching style. A dominating pitcher in Arizona, Nyhus has adapted with the changes, becoming the fourth Oregon pitcher to win 20-plus games in a season.

“Coach White is able to do something that a lot of coaches and pitching coaches can’t do,” Nyhus said Monday. “He’s taught himself and learned from experience, so he teaches his experience to his pitchers.”
White works with Nyhus, senior Anissa Meashintubby, junior Lindsey Kontra and sophomore Amy Harris on their pitching as well as throwing batting practice for the entire Oregon squad.
“He knows the mental aspects of the game just as much as the physical,” Kontra said. “He’s also really great with helping our team by throwing batting practice every day.”

Awards for the Ducks
Shortly after the Ducks finished their doubleheader Saturday against California, they gathered with friends and family at the Valley River Inn for the team’s awards banquet.
Five honors were given out, with catcher Jenn Poore leading the way with Player of the Year. Third baseman Ashley Richards, who finished the regular season with a team-leading .317 batting average, earned Top Offensive Player. Second baseman Erin Goodell, who committed 10 errors during the season, was named Top Defensive Player.
Nyhus, who pitched almost half of the Ducks’ innings and struck out 177 batters this season, was named Top Pitcher. Bullpen catcher Heather Munson earned Most Inspirational.
The awards were voted on by members of the team.

Pac-10 in the postseason
Seven of the eight Pac-10 teams were selected for the NCAA Regionals, with Arizona State the only team not included.
Five Pac-10 squads received the top seed in their region — UCLA in Los Angeles, Arizona at Tucson, Stanford at Stanford, Washington at Georgia and California at Nebraska. Oregon is a No. 2 seed at Florida State and Oregon State earned a No. 3 seed at Michigan.