Allie Walljasper has been named to the U.S. Junior Women’s National Team, giving the four-time Manteca Bulletin All-Area Softball MVP a rare opportunity to walk the same path as her childhood idol.
The former Sierra High star and current Louisiana State freshman is one of four pitchers on the 20-player roster. She joins a program that fostered star pitcher, Jennie Finch, a global celebrity and face of the U.S. national team program.
Walljasper counts a softball signed by Finch as one of favorite possessions.
“It’s an honor. I’m really excited to play my favorite sport and represent our country,” she said. “… I always went to the top camps they put on. It’s always been my dream to play for the U.S. and wear the jersey.”
Team USA is scheduled to compete at the International Softball Federation Junior Women’s World Championships in August in Oklahoma City and the World Cup of Softball X in Southern California in July.
In Oklahoma City, Team USA is looking to regain gold after getting blanked 4-0 by Japan in the final at the 2013 World Championships.
“We have a good mix of speed and power and I’m very excited to see what we can do defensively,” Team USA and Cal State Northridge head coach Tairia Flowers said in a press release. “Overall, we have a good group of girls and will head into the summer with some experience with athletes having a full college season under their belt. We’ve also got a few young ones who will just be finishing up their high school careers.
“The staff and I are looking forward to the summer and we know these girls will be ready to go when we head to Oklahoma City for the ISF World Championships.”
Walljasper solidified her place on the roster during a two-day tryout over the weekend. She emerged from a pool of 22 players, all of whom are 19 years old and younger. Players were graded on their defense and how they performed in a series of live scrimmages.
Walljasper called it a nerve-wracking audition.
“They graded us on everything we did,” she said. “We had to perform at our highest level in front of them.”
She’s never disappointed.
Walljasper has been described by some softball enthusiasts as a “game-changer” and that was certainly the case at Sierra High, where she led the Timberwolves to three Sac-Joaquin Section finals appearances, two section championships and two Valley Oak League titles.
Along the way, Walljasper built her legend with her arm and bat. She went 14-6 in her final season with a 1.04 ERA and 229 strikeouts in 134 innings. She also clubbed six home runs and boasted a .556 batting average. For her career, she was 63-13 with a 0.61 ERA and 895 strikeouts.
“She helped turn this program around,” said Nick Olmo, who retired as Sierra’s head coach following Walljasper’s final game. “With the skills she has, she still worked just as hard if not harder than anybody out there. Allie was very driven … She wanted to win championships and get that full-ride scholarship. That was her goal from Day 1 and nothing was going to stop her from attaining that.”
Her collegiate career officially takes flight in February at the Tiger Classic, but it’s clear she’s already become the Belle of the Bayou. Walljasper is part of a talented freshman class that, as head coach Beth Torina says, is “pushing everyone that’s ahead of them to be even better, and I think they’re going to make some noise themselves.”
With Monday’s announcement, Walljasper already has.
She is one of two LSU players on the Team USA roster, including infielder and roommate Emily Griggs.
“It’s a huge accomplishment for her and what she’s done up until this point,” LSU assistant coach Howard Dobson said of Walljasper in a press release ahead of the tryouts. “It shows you what kind of future she has not only here at LSU, but within the USA Softball program. With all of the athletes in the country that play this sport, for her to be selected for this is a big honor.”
Added Walljasper: “It’s going to be a great season not just for LSU, but for the USA too.”
