The nation was officially introduced to Utah softball pitcher Katie Donovan on Feb. 21, 2015. Donovan, then a virtually unknown freshman, threw a complete game as the Utes upset then-No. 10 Tennessee. After Utah took a 4-0 lead after the second inning, Donovan held on for the win, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks.
What made the complete game win even more impressive was the fact that Donovan had pitched a complete game no-hitter the day before.
Donovan comes from a softball family. Her mom, Linda Stevenson, pitched for South Dakota State in 1980, and her sister Lauren Donovan played softball for Stanford from 2012 to 2014. In high school, Donovan made her family proud, pitching all four years of her time at South Salem High School in Oregon. Donovan pitched two perfect games for the Saxons and graduated with a sub-1.0 ERA and a high GPA, holding a spot on the honor roll for all four years of high school. In 2014, Donovan capped off her prep career by leading her school to a state title, pitching a complete game with 10 strikeouts.
Donovan took home enough awards to fill a trophy case after her stellar senior season. She was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Oregon, the Oregonian Softball Player of the Year and a first team MaxPreps All-American. Donovan was also named Central Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year three times and was selected to the All-State team three times. In her senior year, Donovan had an unreal 0.29 ERA, struck out 280 players in just 168 innings and finished with a 27-1 record.
“It was definitely a really cool experience for our whole team,” Donovan said. “[The state championship] was something that we had been working for as a team for several years, and it was great to go out there — especially in my senior year — and get it done as a team.”
The Utes haven’t been to the College World Series in 21 years, and before last year, they hadn’t finished in the Top 25 since 1997. Until 2015, Utah hadn’t been to the postseason since 2006 and the team has had to practice indoors because of Utah’s high amount of snowfall.
So, what made Donovan, a high school state champion and player of the year, come to the U?
“I really liked how it [Utah] has a combination of a lot of things that were important to me,” Donovan said. “Obviously, they had a really good softball team and coaches, but also it had good academic opportunities. It’s a large research university, and I got to be part of the Honors College. I’m really happy where I’m at.”
Donovan’s first game pitching for Utah was against No. 24 Texas A&M on Feb. 6. Entering the sixth inning with the Utes down five, Donovan faced eight batters, allowing no runs, one hit and issuing two walks. She struck out one.
“I was pretty nervous,” Donovan said as she reflected on her first college game. “At the same time, it’s the same game that I’ve played for most of my life. I knew that my teammates were going to help me through it. It was a good experience.”
The nerves would soon settle, however, as Donovan would quickly become one of the Utes’ best pitchers. Donovan picked up her first win of her collegiate career the next day, throwing a complete one-hitter against Idaho State, and then threw her first no-hitter against Nevada, the first no-no by a Ute pitcher since 2012.
“Katie is someone that really sets the tone for this group,” said head coach Amy Hogue. “She’s one of the hardest-working individuals I’ve ever had the chance to coach. It’s been fun to see that work pan out in some wins for her.”
Donovan finished her first season with an ERA of 2.66, appearing in 45 games and starting 28 of those contests. She struck out 154 batters, an impressive figure for a freshman, and was a huge reason why the Utes went to the NCAA tournament. She continued to show her importance in the tournament, blanking Virginia Tech in four innings of ball in the first game of the tournament.
With a year of experience under her belt, the sophomore pitcher is now a focal part of opponents’ scouting, and Donovan recognizes that.
“With the exposure she got [last year], she had to spend the summer developing some new stuff,” Hogue said.
This season hasn’t fared as well for Donovan in terms of wins and losses, as she’s started the campaign 0-3. But when looking at the quality of her work thus far, Donovan’s start to the 2016 season is far from a disappointment.
In 19.2 innings of work, Donovan currently boasts a 1.09 ERA after striking out 15 of the 79 batters she has faced. She even pitched a near-perfect game against No. 17 Kentucky before a single wild pitch in the seventh inning brought home the winning run for the Wildcats.
Even though she has lost three games, Donovan is gaining valuable experience pitching in her second year on the hill against great competition, and is pitching excellently.
“Personally, [my goals] are to just help out the team as best I can,” Donovan said.
@JoeColesChrony