Amanda Grossman pitched just about every inning of every game last year for Poly Prep. Her performance was good enough to lead the Blue Devils to their sixth straight NYSAISAA softball title. And, at the time, she was only in eighth grade.
“In the beginning I didn’t even know what to expect, but I had a great team and amazing coaches to support me,” Grossman said.
It was an incredible start to her varsity career. Things haven’t been as rosy now, though.
Due to a mechanical issue with her windup, Grossman was shut down over the winter and has yet to pitch this season for Poly Prep. It’s been a disappointment for her. But she’s more than happy to help the Blue Devils in other ways.
Instead of getting down on her inability to find a consistent windmill motion, Grossman worked hard and earned a spot in the Poly starting lineup as an outfielder. She’s had a brand-new role now, as a pesky hitter and terror on the bases.
“She’s a good, aggressive base runner and she knows how to play the game,” Blue Devils coach Mildred Piscopo said. “She’s a little sparkplug out there for us.”
Grossman takes pride in that. She played 18U travel ball in the fall with the Saints on Staten Island and felt like she developed as more than just a pitcher. Seeing all the talented, hard-working players in travel ball just motivated her to be one of them. Grossman said she has been playing baseball and softball since she was 3 years old, so adjusting to a different position wasn’t a huge
“I enjoy playing the outfield,” Grossman said. “I always played softball – softball is my sport. I like to prove I can hit, too.”
Last week, Grossman won the NYPost.com Poll asking “Who is the city’s top young softball player?” She received 59,441 votes, good enough for 39.64 percent of the 149,955 votes cast. St. Francis Prep’s Jessica Menna was second with 43,258 votes (28.85%) and Bayside’s Heidi Gomez garnered 13,555 (9.04%), which placed her in third place. Grossman said her whole family and many friends from Poly Prep were voting frequently.
“I was just very thankful,” Grossman said.
Piscopo said Grossman was actually throwing better than last year before she got shut down. Neither her or Grossman is worried, though. Piscopo said she could return the circle as early as this weekend.
“I expect sooner or later I’ll be back to normal,” Grossman said.
Her vow is to lead Poly Prep back to the NYSAISAA title game and win a seventh straight championship. She views last season as a learning experience and something to build on.
“Hopefully,” Grossman said, “that’s just the beginning of my softball career.”