Athlete of the Week: Victoria Groves

Riverview High senior right-hander Victoria Groves allowed four hits and struck out 11 to lead the Lady Rams to a 6-2 victory over district rival Palm Harbor University Feb. 22.

Prior to her district win, Groves, who is 4-2 on the mound this season, held Sarasota High to two runs on four hits, as the Lady Rams beat the Lady Sailors 5-2 Feb. 20. The Lady Rams’ No. 1 pitcher also had three hits in the game.

Following her senior season, Groves will play softball for the State College of Florida.

"It feels good to be a winning team, because we used to struggle with that. Last year, we did (OK), so hopefully we’ll continue to win more games this year.

I don’t even know how I got started in the sport. My dad was the athlete in the family, and he always played baseball. I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old. I still don’t know why I started, but I love it.

Being with my teammates and seeing the enthusiasm is what I love the most. Basically, coming together as a team on the field. It’s the fun of the game.

I was playing recreational ball for 10U, and I didn’t think I would become a pitcher. I was playing shortstop at the time. My coaches at the time were Venice High players, and one of them was a pitcher. I would watch their games, and it motivated me to want to pitch.

My changeup is pretty nasty.

My teammates keep me motivated on the mound. I’ll lose it sometimes. I get paranoid if I walk a batter. Everything has to be perfect. Everyone is basically depending on you. The pressure’s on me, but I always find a way to work it out. I get pretty hard on myself because I always give 110%, but I know I can give more.

I would play this sport as long as I could.

It’s basically my life. "