Florida Atlantic pitcher Kylee Hanson thought it would be a breeze.
When she arrived for college, she figured it would play out just like high school softball. Throw hard. Strike out batters. Collect victories.
After a few games, she realized she was wrong. Hanson has since recovered from a humbling start to become one of the nation's best pitchers. She leads the Owls against Central Florida on Friday in the first game of the NCAA regional tournament in Gainesville.
"My freshman year, there was a learning curve, coming into Division I softball," said Hanson, now a junior.