Tampa girl plays softball, baseball; pitches and catches

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Playing for her little league baseball team, 12-year-old Olivia Elliott wanted to take her game to the next level. So, she wrote a letter to her headmaster, asking if she could play at the varsity level. 

Though her request was denied, Olivia has instead, flourished on the softball diamond.

Olivia is a pitcher and a catcher for the Black Yard Dawgs at Skyway Ball Park. As a 6th grader, she's also the starting catcher for Cambridge Christian's varsity softball team.

"It's a really good privilege because there's no 7th graders and a few 8th graders, and there's one 6th grader - that's my friend," said Olivia.

"I think Olivia may be only the third 6th grader we've ever had be a part of the varsity program," said Cambridge Christian varsity softball coach, Kevin Hickinbotham. "She's definitely the strongest 6th grader we've had of that group."

And she's one of the strongest on the team, batting .490 in her first season.

"For her to step in as a 6th grader and to be a starter and a huge contributor, that's not common at all," said Hickinbotham. "So, very unusual but very thankful it was able to happen."

Olivia catches for Alea White, a Cambridge Christian senior who has signed on to play for UCF next season.

"Alea throws really fast," said Olivia.

"How fast does she pitch?" FOX 13 Sports asked.

"I think 68 miles an hour," she answered.

"I went to see her at a game, my mind was just blown to see her back there and see this great pitcher just throwing at her and how she was handling herself," said Olivia's baseball coach, Christian Lopez. "Being younger than a varsity pitcher to this young girl, and she was just… It was great, my mind was just blown watching her."

"She had the baseball background and I was like, 'Ooh, baseball, that might be a hard transition,'" said White. "But she definitely fit in the wall and stepped up just fine, and didn't have a problem catching."

The only problem, if it can be called that, is how tough the transition can be, going from one field to another.

"Like I told her, I want you to take it easy. She goes, 'no coach, I don't want to take it easy, I want to play,'" said Lopez. "That's her. She puts her mind to it, and she's just going to do it, and do it the right way and give it 110-percent, every single time."

Throughout the season, Olivia dealt with a swollen hand from catching at softball and going straight to baseball.

"I asked her every time, 'hey, you okay? Do you need to be taken out?' She was like, 'no, I'm good. I got this!' I just knew she was going to hang tough, and I was like, 'we'll ice it later!'" said White.

Nothing seems to keep the 12-year-old off the softball or baseball field.

"I love being on the field with my team and everything," Olivia said.

For Olivia, sitting still is not an option.