Bleav in Softball

Jenna is joined by Athletes Unlimited rookie, Team USA pitcher, UCLA All American, 2X Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, and 2019 national champion, Megan Faraimo! They talk about her final season with the Bruins, champ camps, the transition from college to pro, what attracted her to AU, being part of iconic organizations back to the Corona Angels, international ball, failure recovery, her culture and va...

Jenna is joined by Athletes Unlimited OG, Japan pro league player for the Toda Medics, Team USA member for the WBSC World Cup, All American Oregon alum and 2018 NFCA National Catcher of the Year, Gwen Svekis! They talk about college softball hot takes, the landscape of pro softball, her Japan experience, building AU from the ground up, the importance of relationships, Pride Month, her story, and m...

Jenna and ESPN statistician, former college and Olympic coach, high school Athletic Director, and South Carolina Hall of Fame catcher, Karen Johns, finish their chat. In part 2, they talk more about the NCAA softball postseason, the WCWS stage, how the game has evolved, hot takes on NIL and bat flips, and more. Plus, Jenna recaps her trip to OKC from multiple angles and previews pro softball this...

Jenna is joined by ESPN statistician, former longtime college softball coach, USA player and Olympic coach, high school Athletic Director, and South Carolina Hall of Fame catcher, Karen Johns! In part 1, they talk about reuniting at the Stanford Regional, recruiting Jenna when coaching at Virginia, the 2023 NCAA tournament so far, working with ESPN to cover every pitch of the postseason, digging i...

Jenna is joined by senior writer for The Athletic, SiriusXM radio host for College Sports Today, 2020 National Sports Writer of the Year for the National Sports Media Association, and veteran college football journalist covering the WCWS, Nicole Auerbach! They talk about her experience growing up playing softball, what makes the sport compelling, fun storylines, her NCAA postseason coverage, how t...

Jenna is joined by Stanford freshman pitcher, the nation’s lowest ERA holder, Top 25 USA Softball National POY finalist, Top 10 NFCA Freshman of the Year finalist, All Pac-12 First and Freshman Team member, and much more to come, Nijaree Canady! They talk about her mindset in the circle, Cardinal bullpen relationships, managing success, being a role model, her recruiting process, the transition to...

Jenna is joined by Oregon Head Coach, 4X member of the National Coaching Staff of the Year as an assistant/associate head coach at Oklahoma, and former all-conference catcher for the Sooners, Melyssa Lombardi! They talk about the first ever Pac-12 tournament, having all female head coaches in the Pac, the Ducks’ culture, fighting through adversity, playing at Jane Sanders Stadium, her favorite Nik...

Jenna is joined by Northwestern senior, first ever Rawlings Gold Glove Award as a catcher, 2022 Johnny Bench Award winner and Softball America Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Conference champion, and WPF draftee, Jordyn Rudd! They talk about catching, the bullpen, the Drohan twins, B1G softball, playing through weather, Wildcat alumni, managing failure and success, being drafted by USSSA Pri...

Jenna is joined by Cal State Fullerton third baseman, 2022 Big West champion, 2021 All American and Big West Freshman of the Year, and fellow SoCal native, Hannah Becerra! They talk about whether or not they’re related, family dynamics and support, what got her into softball, team culture, shifting the underdog mentality, postseason, mental health and the student-athlete experience, being a first...

Jenna is joined by retired Team USA pitcher, 2X Olympic silver medalist, 16 year pro, 6x Japan Softball League Champion, 5X NPF league Champion, Tennessee Hall of Famer, 4X All-American, and NCAA record holder - the legendary lefty, Monica Abbott! They talk about reflecting on her career from beginning to end, her impact on the game from college to pro and the Olympics (twice), retirement, telling...

Jenna is joined by Arizona Head Coach, only first year head coach to go to the WCWS since 1988, Olympic silver medalist, USSSA Hall of Famer, 4X All-American at Arizona, 2X national champion, and one of the best center fielders to ever do it, Caitlin Lowe! They talk about leading her alma mater, her relationship with Mike Candrea, coaching with former teammates Taryne Mowatt and Lauren Lappin, the...

Jenna is joined by Kentucky Head Coach, the winningest coach in program history, 2016 SEC Coach of the Year, 2014 NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year, and All-Atlantic 10 UMass player, Rachel Lawson! They talk about her being in Lexington 15+ years, Big Blue Nation, coaching fundamentals and what’s changed, what made her fall in love with softball, what she learned from her playing days, Twitter shena...

Jenna is joined by Arkansas Head Coach, winningest softball coach in Razorback history, back to back SEC Coach of the Year and regular season champion, and Cal alum and national champion, Courtney Deifel! They talk about the evolution of Arkansas Softball, why they focus on pulling the same side of the rope, the SEC, being a role model for her players and sons, what makes Bogle Park special, her p...

Jenna is joined by Howard Softball Head Coach, recently announced Head Coach of the new pro team - the Texas Smoke, Nebraska alum, and Skylar’s mom, Tori Tyson! They talk about her coaching journey from being the daughter of Corona Angels’ Marty Tyson, to pushing the Bison to new heights, to being the first HBCU coach to lead a pro team in the WPF. Plus, being influenced by Rhonda Revelle and her...

Jenna is joined by Oklahoma alum, 2X national champion, 4X Big 12 champion, Team Mexico Olympian, and Athletes Unlimited pro, Nicole Mendes! They talk about 2023 softball, OU’s championship mindset, being inspired and humbled playing with teammates like Shay Knighten and Jocelyn Alo, the Tokyo Olympics, turning pro, why relationships are key for success, planting seeds in your life and letting the...

Jenna is joined by UCF Head Coach, 2022 Extra Inning Softball National Coach of the Year, Hall of Fame pitcher at Pacific, new WCC Hall of Honor inductee, and fellow Ventura County native, Cindy Ball-Malone! They talk about the growth of the Knights, redefining what’s possible, going beyond “mid major”, moving to the Big 12, why they call her Bear, her coaching tree, her playing career, pitching,...

Jenna is joined by Stanford Head Coach, 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, All-American catcher, and one of her former coaches, Jessica Allister! They talk about the 2023 season, a roster rundown, the Pac-12, the first conference tournament this year, unique aspects of Stanford athletics, the program’s evolution in the Allister era, player development, tunnel vision, and 2022 success, including the Al...

Jenna is joined by 3X Olympic gold medalist, USA Softball and UCLA Hall of Famer, 4X All American, and the Bruins’ Associate Head Coach, Lisa Fernandez! They talk about her reaction to being called the GOAT, the UCLA legacy of pitchers who hit, champ camps and the Lisa Fernandez stat, defining intensity, playing fearlessly, how her parents instilled mental toughness in her, women she looked up to...

Jenna is joined by Athletes Unlimited pitcher, Duke All American, 4X All-ACC honoree, and mental health advocate, Peyton St. George! They talk about being player one under Coach Young, what it means to be first, NIL and opportunities off the field, going pro with Athletes Unlimited, the realities of mental health, why balance requires sacrifice, how to support athletes’ mental health, and more. Pl...

The season 3 finale is here! Jenna looks back and highlights the greatest hits from the Safe or Out segment, where each guest gives their hot takes on all things softball - from bat flips and NIL to game day style, equipment, strategy and rules of the game, softball culture, and more. Plus, she breaks down the 2022 softball year in review and shares the last Foul Tip of the Week. Twitter: @BleavIn...

Jenna is joined by softball journalist, National College Softball Editor at Extra Inning Softball, and Founder of Justin’s World of Softball, Justin McLeod! They talk about the landscape of softball media coverage, his 11 year career and shameless Dr. Pepper addiction, what makes a good story, shining a light on all parts of the game, why purpose matters, looking back at softball in 2022, favorite...

Jenna is joined by 3X All American at Michigan, 2X World Cup Champion with Team USA, longtime pro player in Japan, and newly retired WPF pitcher for the USSSA Pride, Jordan Taylor! They talk about her retirement, her coaches from high school to Carol Hutchins, pro experiences around the world, the first year of WPF, her next career in set and costume design, nerding out on Disney and Harry Potter,...

It’s the 100th episode! To celebrate, Jenna is joined by 2X Olympic gold medalist, member of the first ever NCAA championship team at UCLA, USA Softball Hall of Famer, and Liberty Head Coach, Dr. Dot Richardson! They talk about what it takes to be the first at something, her Olympics and Bruin stories, why faith is the center of everything, studying to be a doctor while playing, the art of coachin...

Jenna and Athletes Unlimited pro, Puerto Rico pitcher, and Cal and Fresno State alum, Kamalani Dung, finish their chat. In part 2, they talk about using sport to become the best multidimensional version of you, testing the status quo, why athletes have everything to be successful in any career, her year off exploring opportunities from a corporate job to TV acting, challenges she overcame to make...

Jenna is joined by Cal alum, Mountain West Pitcher of the Year at Fresno State, Athletes Unlimited pro, and Puerto Rican national team member, Kamalani Dung! In part 1, they talk about being Hawaii’s first professional pitcher, growing up with Jocelyn Alo, pitching in Athletes Unlimited and AUX, what sets PUR Softball apart, the World Games, playing for the 99% who have humble beginnings like her,...