Pitching wins championships.
Anyone who’s been around softball knows this much to be true: Having a reliable pitching staff often yields success, and winning brings banners.
The Oregon softball team has the chance to raise a banner this season, and pitching has been at the forefront all year. Lefty Brooke Yanez has made hitters look silly to the tune of an 20-5 record and 2.09 ERA. After Yanez comes Samaria Diaz, whose overpowering fastball and nasty offspeed have exposed hitters all year.
Then there’s freshman right-hander Makenna Kliethermes, who in 157 fewer combined career starts than Diaz and Yanez, has still solidified herself as an anchor in the pitching rotation.
One of the biggest factors that has allowed Kliethermes to be underestimated is where she’s from: Wardsville, Missouri. The town consists of just 1,878 people, and spans just three and a half miles. She’s one of just four Ducks on the 25-woman roster who isn’t from either Oregon or California.
“Coming from a small city is absolutely a disadvantage when it comes to scouting,” Maureen Brady, a softball pitching coach, former player and the sister of NFL quarterback Tom Brady, said. “You have to be pretty good to be recognized from a small town or small travel ball team. That’s awesome for her.”
Kliethermes’ gentle demeanor also allows her to fly under the radar.
“Don’t let that tall, fierce and powerful pitcher intimidate you,” Sharon Buschjost, Kliethermes’ high school coach, said. “She is soft-spoken, she cares about everyone and she would love to talk to you… unless you’re an opponent and step in the batter’s box, then it’s game on.”
Buschjost isn’t lying. Despite her youth and small hometown, one that’s certainly not known as a softball hotspot, Kliethermes has shown flashes of dominance.
On March 1, she faced No. 1 UCLA head-on, throwing 4 1/3 innings, only surrendering three runs. A few weeks later, she no-hit Loyola Marymount, striking out 15 in the process. On April 17, she beat No. 6 Washington, helping Oregon to its only win of the series.
“When [Kliethermes] is doing things right, her ball is staying in the zone while still moving,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “I love watching her throw the ball and command the zone.”
The numbers as a whole may not jump off the page — a 7-6 record with a 3.41 ERA. But for a freshman who has pitched against top-10 teams like Washington, UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State, it’s impressive.
“There were definitely times when she was pitching on varsity, let’s say, as a 15- and 16-year-old and facing 18- and 19-year-old high school girls and dominating them,” Buschjost said. “Makenna has always performed at a high level and is a competitor, and her immediate impact on Oregon’s staff doesn’t surprise me.”
With the Pac-12 playoffs and Regionals just around the corner, and Oregon’s pitching depth serving as one of their largest flaws throughout the past few playoff runs, the pressure will be on Kliethermes and the rest of the pitching staff to rise to the challenge.
Whatever the outcome is, Kliethermes is here to stay. Alongside fellow freshmen Alyssa Brito and Hanna Delgado, it’s apparent that the future of Oregon softball is in good hands, and Kliethermes is helping to lead the way.
