GREENVILLE – Greenville Lady Wave coach Jerrod Newland honored former standout pitcher Jordyn Fisherback prior to the Lady Wave’s varsity softball game against Ansonia at Lady Wave Stadium at Stebbins Field, creating a memorable moment before Newland later collected his 600th career win.
A two-time All-American and two-time All-Ohio selection during her playing days at Greenville, Fisherback starred in the circle for the Lady Wave under Hall of Fame coach Jerrod Newland before going on to pitch at Division I Middle Tennessee State.
Now back in Darke County, Fisherback is helping on the Ansonia staff alongside her father, veteran coach David Fisherback, serving as an assistant with the Lady Tigers program.
For Newland, the recognition began with an unexpected discovery while preparing for a team cookout.
“I was cleaning the locker room out here for the cookout Thursday and found a box, and in that box were two or three odd random jerseys, and one was the old plaid one from the 2008-2012 run,” said Greenville coach Jerrod Newland. “That was Jordyn’s years, and I knew hers because as soon as I saw the sleeve was cut so her right arm could fit in there and knew it was Jordyn’s and laughed, and when I flipped it over, it was 18’s, so when I saw it was ‘J’s jersey, it gave me goose bumps. It hadn’t been worn in 16 years.”
Newland said the moment brought back plenty of memories of Jordyn and her father during her playing days.
“She’s amazing, and what she and Dave do, that rapport they have,” Newland said. “I can remember when Jordyn played for me, and the first game, she wouldn’t give her dad a kiss before the game, so I subbed her out, and they announced a sub, so she kissed her dad reluctantly on the cheek. They had to reenter her, and the next year it was a full-fledged two-arm jump bear hug – military reunion hugs, and that’s sixteen years ago – they are old people now. I don’t want to say how old they are, but I have t-shirts that old. Proud of her and ‘J’s’ as good as it gets.”
For David Fisherback, the moment carried special meaning, both personally and as a reflection of what Greenville softball has built through the years.
“Doesn’t get any better than to come back to where Jordyn went to high school for two years and to represent the extension of what Coach Newland has done with this program,” said David Fisherback. “He has a lot of former players involved in coaching, and it meant something special to my daughter. It’s a tribute to Greenville softball, their philosophy, the team, and what he’s built here in Greenville. It was very special, she was very touched, and she appreciated it.”
David Fisherback said Jordyn’s continued involvement in the game is part of a strong local softball tradition.
“I have worked with a lot of his former pitchers, and now the torch has been passed to Jordyn, who gives a lot of pitching lessons to a lot of kids in the area,” David Fisherback added. “It is great to see softball so successful in this Southwest District and especially in Darke County.”
Jordyn Fisherback said she knew Newland had something planned, but the ceremony still caught her by surprise.
“Coach Newland told me he had something for me before the game, but I should have known that he had something planned,” said Jordyn Fisherback. “I didn’t know he was going to do that, so it was a bittersweet moment. It’s always fun being back here and being able to be a part of this day and play them and have that special moment on the field.”
She also laughed about the unmistakable alteration that made the jersey easy to identify years later.
“Back in the day, it was too tight around my pitching arm, so we had to cut it and figure out how to make it work,” Jordyn said, “so that is absolutely how we knew it was mine.”
For Fisherback, returning to Greenville and being recognized on the field where she built her legacy made for an unforgettable day.
“A very special day,” said Jordyn Fisherback. “It’s always great coming back here and being a part of this. Coach Newland has built something special at Greenville, and I am honored to be a part of it.”
