University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jordan Doggett
February 10, 2020 | Softball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Before the Georgia softball season began last weekend, senior Jordan Doggett talked during our Quick Chat about the work she'd put in on her hitting during the offseason. Five games in, it sure does appear that the work is paying off.
Doggett played in four of the Bulldogs' five games during the Red & Black Showcase, and in nine at-bats she had six hits, six runs scored, a double, a triple and five RBIs. Yeah, that's not too bad.
Doggett, from McDonough, Ga., also chatted about how she's changed during her time at Georgia, excelling in school and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:Â
Frierson: What have you worked on most since last season?
Doggett: I've worked a lot on my hitting and containing to grow my new process that I'm working, getting better at feeling the pitch and working a deeper window so the changeup comes closer and the outside pitches don't seem as far away.
I've also been working a lot on my throwing. I've actually moved from infield to outfield so we're working more on a get-it-out type of throw rather than a short-arm, sidearm throw.
Frierson: I noticed you hit .257 your freshman year and it was up to .316 last year, and that's a pretty robust jump. What do you attribute that to?
Doggett: We do this drill called the Go-A drill — people call it a bunch of different things — but it's basically a drill where I start with my hands down and my front knee up, and I just work on getting into my back leg and floating out rather than just stepping out.Â
Last year I was doing it a lot in practice and the ball was just flying off my bat and I was way more consistent. I was like, I might as well just try this in a game. I've tried to mesh that into something a little bit more concise and I think it was the Texas A&M series that it just clicked for me. From then on I've basically been doing a Go-A, Flamingo, whatever you want to call it, in my at-bats during the game.
Frierson: You all have more than 20 games in the month of February, which is a lot of days at the ballpark, so how do you keep things fresh when you're playing over and over and over?
Doggett: We make sure we keep it fun, like outside of softball we make sure we have team get-togethers. We watched the Super Bowl together and off the field we make sure we're still bonding and not letting outside things affect what's going on on the field.
Frierson: If you could go anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
Doggett: I'd definitely take my mom and my baby brother, Kannon, and I would probably either go to Disney World or Aruba or somewhere tropical and calm.
Frierson: Kannon, that's a great name.
Doggett: Yes, he's awesome. I also have a brother named Legend and that's pretty cool too.
Frierson: Those are two of the coolest names I've ever heard. Growing up, did you play a bunch of sports and what was it about softball that made it No. 1 for you?
Doggett: I played baseball when I was like 12 and I played volleyball and basketball, but in Georgia, volleyball and softball are at the same time so I had to choose between the two. I figured getting recruited for volleyball wouldn't be as promising because I'm 5-foot-4 and I know that's a taller person's sport.
Basketball, I couldn't get the dribbling down. I was good at shooting but the dribbling just wasn't for me — and too much running.
Frierson: I know you've been honor roll or better every year that you've been here, so is that something you strive for and take a lot of pride in?
Doggett: I've always made good grades since middle school — I think the lowest grade I ever made was a B in middle school and high school — so I've just always been one that wanted to make good grades. I don't like failing at things or not putting my full effort into something. I really do pride myself on being on honor roll every semester.
Frierson: What's been your favorite class at Georgia?
Doggett: I took a sports media class last semester and it just really got into the nitty-gritty of sports, like what a lot of people on the outside that don't play sports don't understand, like mental health with athletes, athletes getting paid, race in sports, sexual orientation in sports — it really went into depth regarding athletes as humans and not just as objects. It was a really good class.
Frierson: How have you changed the most in your time at Georgia?
Doggett: I've definitely become way more confident on the field, off the field, in every aspect of my life. I definitely think I'm becoming more of a mature woman rather than a young lady. I have confidence in myself just walking to class, when I get up to bat, when I get up in the morning — I'm just a very confident person now, way more than I was when I came in.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
