2 weeks Ago By Tom Fox
Dallas senior pitcher Nina Barrouk had a big week in the circle. Following a 12-strikeout performance in a win over Valley West, Barrouk held Tunkhannock to just five runs, four earned, and struck out eight to hand the Tigers their first loss of the year. Tunkhannock entered the game ranked No.
4 in the state in the Trib HSSN rankings. How good does it feel to be back on the field pitching this year: It does feel good to be back, just playing with the girls that I have been playing with since Little League, and it feels good to end my senior year on the field. Having a new coach is exciting because I kind of feel like we are building something new.
I just think everyone is excited to be playing the sport together. How much has your team grown this season: I think, this year, there has been a lot of focus on team bonding and building on those relationships. That connection is so important when you get on the field.
At practice, we are just going really hard to prepare for any game. What was the feeling like going into the Tunkhannock game: Myself, I was nervous because Tunkhannock always has such a good team every year. No one kind of expected us to win, so coming away with a victory felt really good.
As the underdogs, I think we just went into the game with the mindset that we wanted to have fun and play as hard as we could. We’ve been working hard at practice, so we know we can stay in any game if we just focus and compete. How nerve-racking was that seventh inning when they started to make a comeback: There was definitely some nervous moments because I feel like we were back and forth all game.
I knew my pitches were on all game, but they are such a good team and were started to catch up to some of them. But I have a lot of confidence in the fielders behind me, and knew they were going to make the play. Describe your season in your own words: I’ve been preparing all year for this, so this season, it’s going to help me prepare for what I’m going to see in college.
I trust my catcher, and we work really well together, and my coach is doing great with the pitch calls, and talking with me between each inning to see what is working and what is not so we can really attack the batters. Year: Senior. Age: 17.
Hometown: Dallas. What are some of your hobbies outside of school: I lift a lot, and I do love to cook. I also love to play softball.
What is your favorite thing to cook: I like baking, and really, cooking with my mom when she finds new recipes. How would you describe yourself to someone: I would say that I am competitive and hard working. Favorite food: Mac and cheese.
Dream vacation would be: Italy. Favorite school subject: Science. Your team is coming over for dinner and you are the chef.
What are you making them: Any type of Italian dish. Favorite TV show: Gossip Girl. Favorite musical artist: Tate McRae.
Favorite restaurant: CK’s. Funniest teammate: Sophia Maier. What superpower would you pick: Invisibility.
Any pregame rituals: Just listen to music and stay focused. Role models: My parents. Throughout the years, they’ve always been there for me, and pushed me to be stronger.
They always want the best for me. You can pitch against anyone, who would you pick: Jocelyn Alo. I would love to see where I stand, and I would love to compete against her.
Future plans: Nina will attend Bucknell University to continue her academic and athletic career. She is planning to major in Linguistics to move into speech therapy..
