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Athlete of the Week
By Ben Reiter |
Jesseka Bartholomew, ES '03 Softball Shortstop Hometown: Lake Forest, Calif. Birthday: Feb. 14, 1981 Major: Political science Favorite movie: The Fugitive Favorite sports moment: "Every moment that I get to spend time working toward the same goal as the whole team—victory." Favorite music: The Backstreet Boys |
There is a new Bartholomew on the Yale sports scene. Jesseka Bartholomew, ES '03, the starting shortstop on the softball team, was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the week ending Wed., Mar. 29. Bartholomew enjoyed a break-out performance in the first game of a doubleheader against Fairfield on Wed., Mar. 22, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs in the Bulldogs' 11-0 blowout. What does Jesseka think of her name connection with football running back Rashad Bartholomew, MC '01? "I don't know Rashad, but they put his phone number next to my name on the softball roster," Bartholomew said. "Everyone looking for me ended up calling him. But he is definitely someone I can look up to—maybe we can make `Bartholomew' an athletically-renowned name around here."
Bartholomew has had an immediate impact on the softball team. The Elis start the Ivy League season carrying a record of 11-13-1 with doubleheaders at Penn and Princeton on Sat., Apr. 8 and Sun., Apr. 9. While Barthomew claims that she doesn't worry about stats, she's racked up some impressive ones—hitting from the sixth spot, Bartholomew is third on the team in batting average at .297 and second in RBIs with 26. And that isn't all—she has a .897 fielding percentage at shortstop, a position that she only began playing this year. "I played third base back in high school, and I really began to learn how to play shortstop during our spring break trip to Florida," she said. "Shortstops have to do a lot more, like covering on steals and being the cutoff man. Third base relies more on reaction, while shortstop requires a lot more thinking." Bartholomew is adapting well to the new surroundings. "After 24 games, I feel that I now have the muscle memory and the knowledge of my teammates to play the position well," she said.
Yale is a heavy favorite for this year's Ivy League title, and Bartholomew feels lucky to play on such a talented and experienced team as a freshman. "The team possesses immense potential, and we have an excellent shot at the title. We need to come up with key hits in key situations, and our defense has to remain strong," she said. Despite her impressive statistics and starting position, she seees herself as only a small component of the team's overall success. "I came here to contribute to the team as best I could," she explained. "My expectations are always high, and I will do my best to fit my role on the team," she said. "I'm equally prepared to start or to cheer from the bench—whatever is best for the team."
When asked what she has liked most about freshman year, her answer is no surprise: "Softball is great here, the athletes go out because of the love of the game—it's been the greatest experience."
Photo courtesy athletic department.
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