Anyone can travel and take pictures of the sites and scenery, but Liv Schaack – a standout pitcher who was ranked No. 13 player in the 2030 HOT 100 Player Rankings published last year –bring home innovative photos from her trips.

She has pics taken of herself pitching at destinations here in the U.S. and overseas and got to do it again over the Christmas break.

Talk about bringing home some cool souvenirs.

“When we go on trips, I like to keep up with my pitching so I like to at least throw a couple of times while away,” the Costa Mesa, Calif. resident explains of her now must-do experience when she’s away from home.

“In past trips I have pitched in -20 degree weather in Big Sky Montana and another time in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.”

Last month, she traveled to Barcelona, Spain for Christmas to visit her aunt and cousin who are spending a year living in Valencia, about three hours away on the western coastline of the country.

Liv did get to have some photos taken, but she had a narrow window to do so. Still, when all was said and done, the pitcher was able to sort through her photos on the train ride from Valencia going up the Spanish coast to Barcelona.

“It rained almost every day here,” the softball standout recalls, “so I only got to pitch one day.”

“We were at a place called Mountjuic, which was a fort originally built in the 1600’s above the city of Barcelona. We found an area of the fort that was built as a moat and there was a grassy area away from everyone that we were able to pitch there.”

“I really wanted to pitch the day we went to Sagrada Família (a huge, unfinished Roman Catholic basilica or a temple-like structure in Barcelona with construction that began in 1882 and is scheduled to be completed this year), but it was raining and there was a Christmas market set up in the park across the street from it so I couldn’t do it.”

The inability to pitch much on her trip was offset by her getting a lot done right before her long flight across the ocean to set down in Europe.

“The day we left for Spain,” Liv continues, “I also got to go to a great pitching and catching camp with three of my teammates that Chrissy Haines (a well-regarded pitching coach in Southern California) hosted.”

“Chrissy worked with me specifically on my landing and being ‘more balanced. I also had my normal pitching sessions with Bill Jackson of Pure Fastpitch.  Bill has coached me for pitching since 8U and, right as my break started, I hit a new PR of 63 mph!”

Along with her hard work in the States, does the standout Class of ’30 athlete look to continue her “pitching around the world” practices?

Oh yea, she responds enthusiastically.

“Now I just need to figure out what interesting site I will pitch at in the future!” she laughs.

— Brentt Eads