- May 6, 2024
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Abagaile Killian pitched a perfect game in the first game of the season. Photo by Jeff Dawsey
Killian recently struck out a career-high 21 batters in a 10-inning win. Photo by Jeff Dawsey
After being told she wasn' t good enough to pitch, a 10-year-old Killian began to work on her craft to become what she is today. Courtesy photo
If it were any indication how this season would go for her, Mainland’s Abagaile Killian pitched a perfect game in the opener against Pedro Menendez on Feb. 14.
Killian struck out 17 of the 21 batters she faced while allowing no runs or walks. Despite a 10-10 team, Killian ruled her competition, and she has the numbers to prove it. But she’s no overnight sensation.
“It’s crazy to think about how everyone underestimated me and didn’t think I would be a good pitcher.”
ABAGAILE KILLIAN
Seven years ago, Killian sought to pitch for her travel team, but she was told she wasn’t as good as the other pitchers. That moment has given her fuel that still burns today.
“I wanted to show them that I could be as good as the other pitchers or better,” Killian said. “I started pitching five days a week for an hour each day for about three years.”
Killian also got a pitching coach — Mike Pace —who helped her develop movement pitches (her curve and rise), and that's when she started dominating in the circle.
“I've worked really hard to get where I am today,” she added, “but it didn't come easy.”
In addition to a pitching coach, Killian’s parents, Richard and Melissa, invested heavily in her effort to become a great pitcher. Richard built her a net in their front yard, so she could pitch with her mother. They took her to the fields an hour before her team practices to practice alone.
“Leading up to this point, she was a perfectionist,” Richard said. “Abagaile would have her mom and me pitching every day for an hour or more perfecting everything. Every pitch had to be perfect; if it wasn't, she'd work on it relentlessly until she fixed what was wrong.”
Now, the Buccaneers’ junior is ranked 11th (as of Tuesday, April 25) in the nation — first in the state — in total strikeouts with 275, according to Maxpreps.com. Killian’s average strikeout total per game (13.8) leads all pitchers.
“It’s crazy to think about how everyone underestimated me and didn’t think I would be a good pitcher,” Killian said. “It blows my mind, and it's an amazing thing to think about.”
Killian the Lady Bucs fell to Deltona 6-0 in the district semifinal Wednesday, April 27. Her season was nothing short of remarkable and historic.
