These things are rumored to be seen in the vast expanses of nature: Bigfoot … the Loch Ness Monster … and left-handed throwing catchers in softball and baseball.
You can scratch that last one from the mythical state. Athletes Unlimited Softball League has a genuine, bona fide, and highly talented catcher who happens to throw with her left hand. And she has been doing it quite well for many years.
Meet Jocelyn Erickson, a rookie for the Chicago Bandits and a Golden Ticket recipient out of the University of Florida, where she won multiple awards, including a pair of Rawlings Gold Gloves.
Already this season, Erickson has caught games in which pitcher Amber Fiser tossed a pair of gems.
And no, she does not consider herself a freak of nature.
“I actually grew up on a travel-ball team with another left-handed catcher,” she said. “And she played at UCLA. I always had another left-handed catcher with me growing up, so it was kind of cool that way, learning and growing with her. I guess you could say I’m unique in that way because you don’t see very many (lefties) in college who catch, but I just like that it shows little girls that they can do what they want.”
There are good reasons against lefties playing second base, third base and shortstop: A lefty would have to turn and throw to first base on a groundball, and that extra split second could make all the difference in a runner beating out a throw. Double plays would also be awkward and potentially dangerous for southpaws at second and short.
But catcher? There are no rules against a left-hander playing behind the plate. It’s just that it rarely happens. The last known lefty to catch in Major League Baseball was Benny Distefino, who did it three times for the 1989 Pittsburgh Pirates. Mike Squires, a Gold Glove first baseman with the Chicago White Sox, strapped on the gear twice in 1980.
Like other left-handers, Erickson has heard the arguments against lefties setting up behind the plate. Those range from the left-handed catcher having to reach across their body to make a tag play at home plate. Another reason given is that it’s more difficult for a lefty to make a pickoff throw to third base, especially with a right-handed batter at the plate. And there’s the notion, valid or not, that the left-hander’s throw has a natural “tail” to it, making the ball fade away from the shortstop or second baseman covering second on a steal attempt.
And of course, there’s the old fallback of, “We’ve always done it this way.”
“The only two, I would say, are plays at the plate and picks to third,” Erickson said. “But you just have to get creative and figure out what works best for you. So I have a different way I do things. I’m left-handed, so I can’t do it the way right-handers do it. But you just have to get creative and think outside the box.”
Erickson said she got the bug to play behind the plate as a child because she has two older sisters who have caught. Yes, both are right-handed. Fortunately for Erickson, no one tried to discourage her.
“I hear people say that (lefties can’t be catchers), but when I was growing up, I never had a coach who told me I couldn’t,” she said. “So I think having that positive atmosphere allowed me to achieve what I wanted. Having people who push me and inspire me and want the best for me allowed me to get to the level where I’m at.”
Getting the Golden Ticket
Erickson was a three-year letter winner at Florida after starting her college career at Oklahoma. In addition to the two Rawlings Gold Gloves, she finished college with a .360 batting average, 58 home runs and 251 RBIs.
Getting the Golden Ticket earlier this year was a special moment for more than one reason.
“It was pretty emotional,” she said. “It was on Senior Day. It was also really special because one of my teammates (Kenleigh Cahalan, now of AUSL’s Portland Cascade) got the Golden Ticket, too. So doing that with her was also super cool. When we get to play against her and I get to see her later, that will be fun. It was really sentimental because my family was there, and we got to take pictures afterward. I can imagine my dad getting emotional in the stands, too.”
So far, the transition from college ball to pro ball has been a smooth one for Erickson. She was behind the plate for the Bandits’ first victory of the season, an 11-3 run-rule win over the Oklahoma City Spark. Erickson started this past Monday, when the Bandits posted a 5-1 win against the Carolina Blaze. In both of those games, Amber Fiser was the starting and winning pitcher.
When she’s not catching, Erickson plays first base, and she has formed a nice partnership with catcher Mary Iakopo.
“She’s awesome,” Erickson said of Iakopo. “She’s really helped guide me through the whole transition from college to pro, and she’s really been supportive and someone to lean on. That’s really nice, going into a new team with new girls with someone who’s been there and has been through it. So yeah, I love playing with her.”
Fiser praised Erickson after Monday’s victory.
“She steals some outside pitches for me,” Fiser said. “She does a great job with that. Mary and I have worked together for many years, so maybe there’s comfort there, but ‘Jocey’ is so fun to throw to. They both bring everything to the table.”
All of that is helping to smooth and quicken Erickson’s progression from college to AUSL.
“It’s been cool to learn from the veterans in the league, seeing their perspective on different things that have helped me with the questions that I’ve had,” she said. “It’s like a reunion in a sense. The softball world is pretty small. Even in training camp, I was running into a bunch of people I hadn’t seen in a while. So it’s been cool to play with new and old players and friends from all over.”
Thoughtfulness and spirituality
In her AUSL Media Guide bio, Erickson lists her most prized possessions as her “journal and scriptures,” revealing both thoughtful and spiritual aspects to her life outside of softball.
Both bring peace and perspective to a life that can fly by too fast.
“I really like to journal because I like to look back and see when life was going good and when life was going bad, seeing what the trends are,” she said. “And it’s also a therapeutic way to get things out. And maybe my children will find it one day and will be able to look back and be able to read about my life. But I think it’s a super healthy way to figure out what you want out of life, and what’s going well and what’s going wrong. So yeah, that’s one of my prized possessions.
“And I also do a gratitude journal, which is keeping a positive mindset, thinking about what you’re grateful for that day and how you want to go about your day.
“With my scriptures, I’m not the biggest reader in the world, but I do love reading my scriptures because it helps get me in the right mindset for the day. At nighttime, it helps me end my day peacefully. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so spirituality is really big for me and knowing that I’m more than an athlete. My purpose in life is bigger than playing softball.”
Bruce Miles has covered sports in the Chicago area for 47 years, including baseball, hockey, football and Athletes Unlimited Softball League. He covered the Chicago Cubs in their historic run to the World Series title in 2016. He has written stories for Athletes Unlimited since 2020.
Follow Bruce on Bluesky @brucemiles2112.bsky.social and on X @brucemiles2112
