Leadoff hitters are asked to show patience at the plate, force the pitcher to show what she's got and give her teammates a plan. Then they're expected to get on base.
Wichita State's Sydney McKinney considers herself an aggressive hitter, which runs counter to the job. When she wavers, she's got an accountability partner and a running penalty as a reminder.
"You have to see pitches and I'm a first-pitch swinger," McKinney said. "I've learned that I have to see five or six pitches to help the rest of the team, and if I don't then they're kind of clueless going up, too.