John Hudek was a former reliever in the MLB and played six seasons with the Astros, Mets, Reds, Braves and Blue Jays. Interestingly enough, his 17-year-old daughter is also a pitcher and she made history on Wednesday.
Sarah Hudek agreed to sign with Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) on Wednesday evening to become a member of the school's baseball team. She will become the first female to play baseball in the school's history and will also be one of the few demales to play baseball at the collegiate level, joining Julie Croteau (1989), Molly McKesson (2005), Ghazaleh Sailors (2014), and perhaps a few less widely documented others.
Hudek, a left-hander, is said to have a fastball that hits 82 miles per hour, a changeup, curveball and she's working on a cutter. She attributes her pitch selection to having the opportunity to "pick the brains" of her father and other major league pitchers as she was growing up. The high school senior is thrilled about the opportunity to play at the collegiate level.
Coach Aaron Vorachek was the man who signed her to a baseball scholarship.
"Coach Vorachek is a great guy who sees me as a player who can help his team and not just as a girl. He has accepted me as a player," Hudek said, via The Shreveport Times. "I'm excited about the opportunity and I'll do whatever I can to help BPCC win games ... I hope my new teammates see me for what I can do to help the team, even though I'll probably stick out like a sore thumb."
The Houston native has been playing with the same teammates on the George Ranch High School baseball squad since her Little League days. She was named the USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year after going 1-1 with a 0.53 ERA in 17 innings during the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup last year.
Vorachek is confident in Hudek's abilities and said he signed her to "help us win ball games."
"I saw Sarah pitch as a sophomore and then again last season. She can really pitch," Vorachek added. "I think other schools were afraid to take a chance on her. But you're taking a chance with every kid you sign."
The anticipation surrounding Hudek's debut with BPCC will likely be notable.
