It did not take long for Dejah Mulipola to show her new teammates just what she is made of — and where she belongs.
Two-time Olympic pitcher and legend Cat Osterman — the lefty who started Tuesday night’s exhibition game against Arizona, a game Team USA won 5-4 at Hillenbrand Stadium — had a connection with her batterymate from the start. Osterman, 36, pitched four innings against the fifth-ranked Wildcats on Tuesday night, allowing one run on two hits while striking out eight and walking one. Arizona’s Jessie Harper delivered Arizona’s only run against Osterman, belting a solo home run to left field in the fourth inning. Harper added a three-run shot off reliever Ally Carda one inning later.
“I don’t think either of us have been very shy about the fact that we just have a very good connection, and we have since the first time she caught me in tryouts in January of 2019,” Osterman said of Mulipola. “The first time we got put together it was just automatic almost.
“And over time she’s really developed a relationship to know what to say to me, which is not always easy when you’re one of the youngest (players) and you are dealing with one of the oldest.”
Nearly anybody else would be intimidated. Not Mulipola: She started as a freshman at Arizona and led the Wildcats to the Women’s College World Series as a junior. Mulipola is redshirting her senior season, and for good reason: She figures to play significantly for Team USA in this summer’s Olympic Games.
Osterman, who played for Team USA in 2004 while still attending the University of Texas, says Mulipola is “comfortable back there.”
“And it’s nice, because I can know what my gut says. But at the same time, she doesn’t throw down what my gut says,” Osterman said. “I know how she’s thinking now, and so we can play a little bit, and sometimes she comes up with some ideas that I wouldn’t think of, which is awesome.”
More Mulipola
Mulipola was part of Arizona’s 2017 recruiting class, a group that also included Malia Martinez, Reyna Carranco and Harper. Martinez, who has been Mulipola’s hitting partner, had an up-close look at Mulipola’s development from freshman starter into Olympian.
“If that’s not the best role model to have, I don’t know what is,” Martinez said. “I watch her and try to implement what she’s doing into my game. From watching and from playing with her, she’s just a very mature, level-headed person. She’s very calm.
“I try to be like that, too. Because when you get too frazzled, that’s when things start going out of hand for you. I think trying to keep a level-headed mentality throughout any situation — even when you’re not doing your best — that’s really something that she is really good at.”
Coaching connection
Team USA coach Ken Eriksen and Arizona coach Mike Candrea go way back. Candrea offered Eriksen a job on his staff in 1995. Although Eriksen did not take the role, he coaches alongside Candrea on the U.S. National Team between 2001-05.
Eriksen said Tuesday’s game against Candrea and the Wildcats in Tucson was special.
“Tonight, for me to be the head coach, come back and play against your mentor and your mentor’s program, which you try to emulate your college program after, is pretty special — not just for USA Softball, but for me personally.”
Eriksen said he plans to call Candrea “probably a few times between now and Tokyo.”
“He’s just a great guy,” Eriksen said. “He’s a life skills coach more than he is a coach of the game.
Pac-ing the team
Half of Team USA’s 18 players hail from the Pac-12, with three of them — Mulipola and UCLA’s Bubba Nickles and Rachel Garcia — still in school. Others: Delaney Spaulding and Carda (UCLA); Hannah Flippen (Utah); Valerie Arioto (Cal); Ali Aguilar (UW) and Janie Reed (Oregon).
