Jordan Seneca, Red Flash rewriting the record books
Pitchers beware. That should be the message for any opponent going into a game against Saint Francis University. With a “Swift” leg kick and a Red Flash, any ball thrown in the zone is leaving the park.
Head Coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift and her husband, Patrick, introduced new hitting mechanics halfway through the 2015 season. They set aside the tee work and instead, suggested big movements and leg kicks. With that, Jordan Seneca has hit her way onto the national softball scene.
Through 32 games, the junior leads the nation in home runs (15) and runs batted in (45). She hits second in the lineup because she will get 12 more at bats throughout the season than hitting third, according to Associate Head Coach Patrick Swift. Which gives her the chance to hit one or two more home runs.
“She just gets it done,” said Patrick. “Every time she comes to the plate everybody in our dugout is just waiting for something to happen. It’s a crazy feeling and you don’t want to put that kind of expectation on somebody but you feel like every time she steps in the box, she is going to hit a home run or a grand slam.”
Her grand slam against Liberty on March 10 was the 31st of her career and set SFU’s all-time career home run record. In the past seven games, Seneca has hit six homers and collected 20 RBI. In a game against Texas Tech on March 16 she became the 11th player in NCAA history to hit two grand slams in one game.
The consistency of the long ball for the exercise physiology major didn’t happen overnight but when everything clicked, her numbers took off. She set the program record for home runs in a single season (18) and RBI (59).
“It took me from the middle of my freshman year until the end of fall my sophomore year to really figure it out,” said Seneca. “My leg kick allows me to have more power and gives me more time to see the ball.”
While Seneca’s numbers have garnered individual attention, it’s also shifted focus to the rest of the team. She can’t collect RBIs without people getting on in front of her.
“If the girls in front of me didn’t get on base against (Texas) Tech, that game would have been a lot closer than it was,” she said. “We’ve been doing a great job of finding ways to get on base.”
After making history this week by receiving votes in the national polls, the Red Flash is taking a weekend off to prepare for conference play beginning on April 1.
“We’ve played a tough schedule to prepare us for conference play and we will take it one game at a time,” said Seneca. “We just need to stay focused and get the job done. I think we know we are the best team in the conference, we just have to prove it.”
