A left-handed catcher? AUSL’s Erickson proves it works

Jocelyn Erickson, a left-handed catcher for the Chicago Bandits, has spent years proving the doubters wrong—turning skepticism into a story of craft, creativity, and making room for little girls to play the position they want.

On game days, Jocelyn Erickson hears the same old line in different forms: left-handers don’t belong behind the plate. But when the Chicago Bandits need their catcher to handle the pitch and the moment. Erickson is there—throwing left-handed. doing it well. and doing it without treating it like a novelty.

Erickson is a catcher for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and a rookie for the Chicago Bandits. She is also a Golden Ticket recipient out of the University of Florida. where she won multiple awards. including a pair of Rawlings Gold Gloves. Already this season, Erickson has caught games in which pitcher Amber Fiser tossed a pair of gems.

She doesn’t call herself a “freak of nature.” “I actually grew up on a travel ball team with another left-handed catcher. ” Erickson said. “And she played at UCLA. I always had another left-handed catcher with me growing up. so it was kind of cool that way. learning and growing with her. I guess you could say I’m unique in that way because you don’t see very many [lefties] in college who catch. but I just like that it shows little girls that they can do what they want.”.

The argument against left-handedness in other infield roles is often straightforward: a lefty turning to throw to first on ground balls can cost an extra split second. and double plays can become awkward and potentially dangerous for southpaws at second and short. But catcher is different. There are no rules against a left-hander playing behind the plate.

It still rarely happens. The last known lefty to catch in Major League Baseball was Benny Distefano, who did it three times for the 1989 Pittsburgh Pirates. Mike Squires, a Gold Glove first baseman with the Chicago White Sox, strapped on the gear twice in 1980.

Erickson said she’s heard the reasons people give for why a left-handed catcher is a problem—having to reach across their body to make a tag at home. the difficulty of making a pickoff throw to third base with a right-handed batter at the plate. and the idea that a left-hander’s throw has a natural “tail” that can make the ball fade away from the second baseman or the shortstop covering on a steal.

She doesn’t deny there are plays that require adjustment. “The only two, I would say, are plays at the plate and picks to third,” Erickson said. “But you just have to get creative and figure out what works best for you. So I have a different way I do things. I’m left-handed, so I can’t do it the way right-handers do it. But you just have to get creative and think outside the box.”.

Her path to the position started early. Erickson said she got the bug to play behind the plate as a child because she has two older sisters who have caught. Yes, both are right-handed. “I hear people say that [lefties can’t be catchers]. but when I was growing up. I never had a coach who told me I couldn’t. ” Erickson said. “So I think having that positive atmosphere allowed me to achieve what I wanted. Having people who push me and inspire me and want the best for me allowed me to get to the level where I’m at.”.

The kind of support that kept the door open is also visible in how smoothly she’s moving from college ball to pro. Erickson was a three-year letter winner at Florida after starting her college career at Oklahoma. Along the way, she finished college with a .360 batting average, 58 home runs and 251 RBIs. The Golden Ticket moment carried emotion, too.

“It was pretty emotional,” Erickson said. “It was on Senior Day. It was also really special because one of my teammates [Kenleigh Cahalan. now of AUSL’s Portland Cascade] got the Golden Ticket. too. So doing that with her was also super cool. When we get to play against her and I get to see her later, that will be fun. It was really sentimental because my family was there, and we got to take pictures afterward. I can imagine my dad getting emotional in the stands, too.”.

So far. her first steps in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League have felt less like a rupture and more like continuation. She was behind the plate for the Bandits’ first victory of the season—an 11-3 run-rule win over the Oklahoma City Spark. She started this past Monday, when the Bandits posted a 5-1 win against the Carolina Blaze. In both games, Amber Fiser was the starting and winning pitcher.

When Erickson isn’t catching, she plays first base, and she has formed a partnership with catcher Mary Iakopo. “She’s awesome,” Erickson said of Iakopo. “She’s really helped guide me through the whole transition from college to pro. and she’s really been supportive and someone to lean on. That’s really nice. going into a new team with new girls with someone who’s been there and has been through it. So yeah, I love playing with her.”.

Fiser praised Erickson after Monday’s victory. “She steals some outside pitches for me,” Fiser said. “She does a great job with that. Mary and I have worked together for many years, so maybe there’s comfort there, but ‘Jocey’ is so fun to throw to. They both bring everything to the table.”

The progression has also come through repetition and observation—learning from veteran players and seeing the league in motion. “It’s been cool to learn from the veterans in the league. seeing their perspective on different things that have helped me with the questions that I’ve had. ” Erickson said. “It’s like a reunion in a sense. The softball world is pretty small. Even in training camp, I was running into a bunch of people I hadn’t seen in a while. So it’s been cool to play with new and old players and friends from all over.”.

And just as important as what happens on the field is what Erickson holds onto when the day moves too fast. In her AUSL Media Guide bio, she lists her most prized possessions as her “journal and scriptures,” and she talks about them as something more than routine.

“I really like to journal because I like to look back and see when life was going good and when life was going bad. seeing what the trends are. ” Erickson said. “And it’s also a therapeutic way to get things out. And maybe my children will find it one day and will be able to look back and be able to read about my life. But I think it’s a super healthy way to figure out what you want out of life. and what’s going well and what’s going wrong. So yeah, that’s one of my prized possessions.

“And I also do a gratitude journal, which is keeping a positive mindset, thinking about what you’re grateful for that day and how you want to go about your day.

“With my scriptures. I’m not the biggest reader in the world. but I do love reading my scriptures because it helps get me in the right mindset for the day. At nighttime, it helps me end my day peacefully. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. so spirituality is really big for me and knowing that I’m more than an athlete. My purpose in life is bigger than playing softball.”.

Jocelyn Erickson left-handed catcher Chicago Bandits Athletes Unlimited Softball League Golden Ticket University of Florida Rawlings Gold Gloves Amber Fiser Mary Iakopo Kenleigh Cahalan