Softball pitcher Alison Owen has been a Bulldog her entire college career but not a Mississippi State Bulldog.
Owen transferred from Georgia after her sophomore year to play at State. Owen said she loved her time at Georgia, but it was time for her to open up a new chapter in her life.
“I cannot replace the memories that I had there or the teammates that I had there,” Owen said. “It was so awesome to be able to have the opportunity to pitch in the College World Series, and meeting those teammates and having those relationships, and I’d like to thank the program for the opportunity.”
After sitting out the 2012 season, she has finally been able to take the circle in 2013, and she is already off to a record-breaking start. She was named co-SEC pitcher of the week after back-to-back monster games on the mound.
Last Saturday, she broke the record for strikeouts in a game by an MSU pitcher with 15, and then the following day, she broke her own record with 16 Ks.
Owen is part of an MSU pitching staff that leads the SEC with 143 strikeouts and a .159 opponent batting average and is second in the league only giving up 51 hits.
Even with all the success she has found already this season, Owen has remained humble, always giving the credit to her teammates and coaches.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without the animal defense behind me and Sammy (Sam Lenahan) and Logan (Foulks) doing a great job behind the plate,” Owen said. “Vann (head coach Vann Stuedeman) has been working with me on my spins and helping me focus on a pitch-by-pitch mentality, and she’s just the best pitching coach in the nation.”
The success on the mound is not new to Owen, however. She had a combined record of 28-7 in her two seasons at Georgia and had an ERA under three both seasons. She also pitched in the Women’s College World Series her freshman year in the semifinals of the tournament.
Owen said pitching in the CWS was a great experience she can never replace.
“The Women’s College World Series was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. I will never forget those days or the teammates I went with,” Owen said. “But I can’t wait to go back and get there again with State because all of us are working so hard, and that’s our goal.”
Owen said she considered transferring to other schools, but after visiting MSU and hanging out with Stuedeman and the softball team, she knew State was where she needed to be.
“I wanted to stay in the SEC and go to a school with a good pitching coach, and here at State, I could have both. Vann is one of the top pitching coaches in the nation, and it is really awesome for me to be able to play for her,” Owen said. “It’s not just about softball with her; she really cares about us as people and teaches us life lessons, and that is why I wanted to come to State.”
Stuedeman said she knows the impact Owen can have on the MSU softball team. After Owen was named co-SEC pitcher of the week, Stuedeman called Owen a program changer.
“We knew when she said yes it was a big yes for Mississippi State,” Stuedeman said. “She’s been fun to coach. She’s really in control of all of her pitches, and she really enjoys going out there and competing.”
Off the field, Owen is a normal college student. She enjoys spending time with her roommates and friends. Some of her hobbies include writing, painting and playing pool. She is really close with her family back home in Georgia and said she skypes them all the time.
Owen also said she is a very big SEC football fan.
“I’m a huge SEC football fan; I grew up loving it,” Owen said. “Georgia football will always have a place in my heart because I grew up a Georgia fan and I have friends there, but I’m a huge Mississippi State Bulldog fan.”
Julia Echols, who also transferred from Georgia and is a childhood friend of Owen, said she is a great teammate and leader.
“She’s an unselfish teammate who’s always looking out for what she can do for somebody else,” Echols said.
Owen’s off-the-chart ability on the field is complimented by her great attitude off the field. Despite being very talented at what she does, she has a humble attitude and is unselfish, which makes her talent that much more special.