College softball: Keystone grad Lauren Shaw back to having fun and dominating after transferring to UCLA

Sometimes a step back is needed to move forward. When the COVID-19 pandemic took softball away from Lauren Shaw in 2020 it was a disappointment — at first. Looking back, the former Keystone ace realized being away from the game was just what she needed to redefine herself. She's refreshed, she's rejuvenated and she's ready to help UCLA achieve something she's dreamed of since she was little — reach the College World Series. That journey begins Friday against Grand Canyon. "It's been a whirlwind of a season," Shaw said. "You definitely don't think you're going to grow and change that much as a player in your fifth year of college, but I think I'm a completely different pitcher than I have been the last four years. I've been taking in all the new information that (assistant) coach Lisa Fernandez has for me, just running with it and letting it work." Rewind the clock to the start of last season and Shaw was in a very different place. Physically she was pitching for Iowa, mentally she was burned out. Even though she finally got back onto the field on a regular basis with the Hawkeyes, she knew something else had to change if she was going to utilize her two additional years of eligibility. Part of that burnout stemmed from a long injury battle. Shortly after high school, Shaw had surgery to repair a decaying femur. During her freshman season, she discovered the procedure didn't take and she needed another surgery that May. The yearlong recovery forced her to redshirt as a sophomore. Shaw got back in the circle her junior year, appearing in 12 games with 10 starts. She threw seven complete games, two shutouts, ranked fourth in the Big Ten with a 1.71 ERA and second with nine wins. But while the stats say one thing, mentally Shaw was struggling. The pandemic cut her comeback short, forcing her to put down the softball. "The first part of that season was mentally tearing me down," Shaw said of her junior year. "I was tying my worth to my performance. If I didn't have a good game, I was upset the whole day. I just couldn't be a happy person if I wasn't performing the best on the field, which is not what should be the case, but I allowed it to be the case. COVID hitting allowed me to get my mind right and detach from the sport. It sucked at first, but I'm thankful for it now." The lockdown gave her an opportunity to do something else, so she decided not to do anything softball related until she returned to Iowa. In its place she turned to bike rides, hikes, deep stretching and meditation, but it was yoga that had the most profound impact. Through those stretches she decided to try something new — to turn pitching into a yoga movement. When she got back to Iowa, Shaw said one practice she pitched with her eyes closed to feel every little thing her body was doing during each pitch and focus on her breathing. It got to the point where she was able to feel the difference between her pitches. The new approach allowed her to break the notion that her self-worth was tied to softball and enjoy the game in a new light. "Once I just detached in general from the emotions of softball, that's when I found my happiness," Shaw said. "Some people don't really like that because it means I'm smiling and laughing even after I give up a home run, but it's because I missed a pitch and I can't do anything about it except smile and move on to the next one." After four years at Iowa, Shaw entered the transfer portal knowing she needed a change, adding that her coaches were supportive of her decision. She knew what she wanted, but she never expected a random text from one of the NCAA's top programs during a normal day at the gym. "I think I had a heart attack," Shaw said. "I didn't want to tell my mom because I didn't want to jinx it. I talked to Lisa Fernandez on the phone, they flew me out for the visit and I said yes the second that they asked. I remember meeting Lisa Fernandez (a two-time national champion at UCLA, a three-time gold-winning Olympian and one of the sport's biggest names) when I was 14 back in Lorain County. I have this picture with her at some softball event. I remember sending it to her when we were talking on the phone. I knew I was going to go somewhere big, but I never in a million years would have guessed that it would be to the highest of all highs when it comes to collegiate softball programs. It's a huge blessing and I'm super thankful for it." Her change-up — something she credits to her hometown pitching coaches Dave Leffew and Amie (Leffew) O'Brien — was one thing that stood out to the Bruins. It's helped Shaw excel in her relief role as a change-of-pace pitcher, pairing nicely with Megan Faraimo and Holly Azevedo to complete a formidable trio. Shaw has made 23 appearances, working 55 innings, almost all in relief with a 0.89 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 46 strikeouts and two saves. UCLA has helped her add a few additional pitches to her arsenal, bringing back her curveball to complement her change-up and drop ball. The Bruins enter the NCAA Tournament with a 43-8 record, earning the No. 5 seed and the right to host one of 16 double-elimination regionals. Regardless of what happens against Grand Canyon, the Bruins will face either Ole Miss or Loyola Marymount next. This will be Shaw's first trip to the NCAA Tournament and she's looking to make the most of it. "It's every little girl's dream growing up to be at the World Series," Shaw said. "When I was little, I idolized Alabama because I wanted to be at the World Series. I'd watch them and UCLA when I was little. It's everybody's dream. Being on a team where that's in our sight, we're ranked, we're winning and our team never lets up. Just having that opportunity and have it being so right in our face is really exciting. I feel very blessed to be part of a team that's so hungry to win." Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on Twitter.