Without needing to say a word, Jordan Birch made a perfect attention-grabbing statement March 20.
On that memorable day, the Monroe High School junior pitched a perfect game, striking out 16 batters, and ripped a home run in a decisive 4-0 fastpitch softball triumph over the Everett Seagulls.
The message was clear.
“The first thing on my mind,” Everett coach Kyle Peacocke said, “was she’s the best pitcher in the league, hands down. She made a statement in that game and kind of followed up on that throughout the year.”
“I think it was kind of a statement being made,” echoed Monroe coach Curt Eskeback. “(Birch) pitched a perfect game … against a rival Everett team that’s well-coached and has good athletes.”
The victory was a watershed moment in what became a massively successful season for Birch. For her many achievements – which include throwing two perfect games, compiling a 23-2 win-loss record and tallying 271 strikeouts – Birch is The Herald’s 2007 All-Area Softball Player of the Year.
One key to Birch’s success, as with most top-notch pitchers, was her laser-precise control. She allowed just 20 walks in 1732/3 innings, an average of less than one walk per seven-inning game.
Birch’s breakout performance against Everett typified her uncommonly accurate attack.
“That game was really, really fun,” Birch said, “and all my pitches were working perfectly. I felt like I had great control.” Allowing just nine earned runs all year, Birch pitched Monroe to Wesco North and Class 4A Northwest District titles, as well as a trip to the state tourney. She made valuable offensive contributions, too, hitting .318 with two doubles, three triples and two homers. In addition, she compiled a .441 on-base percentage, scored 21 runs, drove in 18 runs and was 12-for-12 on stolen-base attempts.
Birch, a lanky 5-foot-9 competitor, dreams of playing for an NCAA Division-I program. She seems to have the work ethic necessary to achieve her goal and said she already has received interest from several East Coast coaches.
“She had an outstanding year and worked really hard to get where she is right now,” Eskeback said, “and she’s still working hard to get better.” Birch, a right-handed pitcher who bats left-handed, excelled in her first season at Monroe’s No. 1 pitcher. Last season, she performed well, but then-senior Ashly Forsberg tossed the majority of the innings. Forsberg now plays for Utah Valley State University.
Birch learned a lot about mental toughness, intensity and practice habits from Forsberg, Eskeback said: “She saw what it takes to get to that next level.”
Said Birch, who attributed her success to a rigorous offseason workout routine, “I knew this was my year.” It certainly was.
After throwing a perfect game against Everett, Birch had another one against Cascade. Eskeback, Monroe’s head coach the past 11 seasons, had never had a player toss one perfect game in a season, let alone two.
Even in rare situations when opponents had success against Birch, she stayed focused and refused to let things unravel. She wants the ball, she loves to challenge hitters and, more often than not, she prevails.
“She’s really mature and knows what she can and can’t do,” Eskeback said. “If you watch, I mean, she just doesn’t get real frazzled when she gets hit. She just says, ‘Give me the ball back.’” Birch praised her teammates, who generally played stellar defense. In particular, shortstop Kayla Wangner, third baseman Sarah Elledge, catcher Briar Stanley and outfielder Shannon Fretz were solid in the field.
Actually, it’s amazing Monroe’s fielders didn’t constantly doze off while waiting for some action.
Said Everett’s Peacocke, “Jordan, at times, didn’t need the defense when (she was) striking out 15, 16 batters a game.”
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