Jonathan Alder’s Lindsey Potter prepares to hit the ball during the 2019 Division II state championship game at Firestone Stadium in Akron. Potter will continue her career at The Ohio State University. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
Lindsey Potter is exchanging the Red and Black of Jonathan Alder High School for the Scarlet and Gray of The Ohio State University.
Potter, who started in the outfield for the Lady Pioneers’ 2019 Division II state championship squad, will continue her softball career in the Big Ten.
“It was a crazy process,” Potter told the Journal-Tribune. “I hadn’t really seriously looked at Division I softball until my sophomore season.”
Potter had also checked out the University of Toledo and Ashland University, but it was a chance in-person look by Lady Buckeye coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly that led to her signing with OSU.
“Coach Kelly was watching her daughter, Danielle, when we played Olentangy Liberty during my sophomore season,” said Potter. “She talked to Coach (JA assistant Glen) Widner about me after the game.
“I went to an Ohio State camp and Coach Kelly offered me a spot as a preferred walk-on.”
Potter’s final season on the Alder softball diamond came a little more than a year ago when she helped lead the Lady Pioneers to the state championship.
She hit .443 for the season, smacked six homers and drove in 33 runs.
Potter also led Jonathan Alder with 23 stolen bases.
Although many may feel the jump from the Division II high school level to NCAA D-I softball is huge, Potter feels she’s ready.
“I think I can make an impact, especially with my defense in the outfield,” she said. “However, I know Ohio State has a very strong team and I’m going to have to work hard to earn a spot in the lineup.”
There were only three seniors listed on the Lady Buckeyes’ 2020 roster. As such, there will be a strong nucleus returning for the 2021 campaign.
Ohio State managed to squeeze in 18 games earlier this year before sports were shut down by COVID-19.
The Lady Buckeyes split the season with a 9-9 mark.
If there is one thing Potter will have to make an adjustment to, it’s Division I collegiate pitching.
“With our season canceled this spring, I didn’t see any live pitching,” she said. “I’m playing summer softball with the Stingrays, but that’s not as aggressive as high school ball.
“However, it is nice to see live pitching again.”
Potter said since she hasn’t stepped in against` what one could call “top-notch” hurlers in more than a year, she said, ”I’m going to have to ease into facing Division I pitchers.”
Although softball has been very important to Potter over the years, she also has her mind set on academics.
She plans to major in biology with the goal of becoming a pediatric physician’s assistant.
Although the Lady Pioneers’ 2020 campaign was wiped out by the coronavirus, Potter will long be remembered as part of a special JA softball class.
She and her fellow seniors were members of Alder teams that earned berths in the Division II state Final Four in Akron for three consecutive seasons.
“It was heartbreaking that we couldn’t play to defend our state championship this year,” she said. “We knew we would have gone into the season as a big target for other teams.
“However, I really feel we could have defended our title.”