PISCATAWAY – In the past, Jackie Bates studied the back of the baseball cards in her overstuffed collector’s binder.
In the present, she uses an opposing hitter’s power numbers to judge whether to play a deep or shallow center field.
In the future, she hopes to earn a graduate degree in statistics and put it to use as an analyst for ESPN or a scout for a baseball team.
Yes, the senior star of the Rutgers softball team is a stats-head, just not when it comes to her knowing her own numbers.
“I’ve always loved comparing different players’ stats,” Bates said, “but, for myself, I hate looking at my stats.