Jenna Caira’s dominance as player, coach earned her 1st SU softball jersey retirement
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On Senior Day, in 2012, Jenna Caira started in the circle. The Toronto native kept South Florida’s hitters off-balance all afternoon and the Bulls had zero hits going into the final inning. In the seventh, Kenshyra Jackson grounded out to third base for the game’s final out and Caira made history, tossing her fourth career no-hitter in her last-ever start at Skytop Softball Stadium.
“It was a really wonderful celebration to end it that way,” Caira said. “It was an extra highlight that I take into my memory that makes Syracuse so special to me.”
It was a fitting end for Syracuse softball’s greatest player of all time. Known for her signature change-up, Caira made a living by mixing the pitch with her fastball and drop ball. The right-hander stands atop almost every pitching category in program history, including wins (97), complete games (82), shutouts (28), strikeouts (1,051), ERA (1.87) and opponent batting average (.190). One year after graduating, Caira returned to SU softball as a pitching coach for two seasons. This Saturday, her No. 29 will be Syracuse’s first jersey retiree.
Caira attributes much of her success to her longtime trainer and mentor, Todd Martin, a decorated softball pitcher who played 12 years for Team Canada and won a 1999 Pan Am gold medal. Martin and Caira first trained together in Caira’s driveway when she was 15. Martin taught Caira the deceptive nature of the change-up.
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“She figured it out in one day in her parent’s driveway,” Martin said. “She had unbelievable movement on it, and she was able to fool people consistently for her entire career. Anyone who knows the name Jenna Caira, they associate a change-up with it.”
While Caira weighed her recruiting options, then-Syracuse head coach, Leigh Ross, made a lasting impression. SU was not the strongest softball team, but its desire to be great drew Caira in.
“I could just hear it in [Ross’s] voice that she really wanted to build a strong program,” Caira said.
Caira switched jersey numbers upon arriving on campus. She had worn No. 4 all her life, but decided to honor Martin by donning his No. 29.
“I’m going to wear No. 29 for Todd and represent him. I think that in itself says a lot for how I feel about him as a coach and as a mentor,” Caira said.
Caira had little success throughout February and early March of her freshman campaign. She referred back to Martin, who advised her to incorporate the change-up more. By mid-March, Caira began to dominate and led the Orange with 16 wins. Her first signature moment came after tossing her first collegiate no-hitter against Villanova on April 5. Caira finished with a 2.33 ERA and earned 2009 Big East Rookie of the Year honors.
Caira continued to improve in her second year, posting a 2.31 ERA over 36 appearances. Entering the Big East tournament as the No. 5 seed, she boosted the Orange past No. 4 Villanova in the quarterfinals. Then, an upset win over No. 1 DePaul sent SU to the conference championship.
Against No. 3 Louisville, Caira held the Cardinals to one run in a 2-1 victory, clinching the program’s first-ever Big East Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. Caira was named the Big East Championship Most Outstanding Player and made the All-Tournament Team.
“It was the best. Period. It was an awesome, awesome tournament that gives me goosebumps every time I think about it,” Caira said.
Over the course of her collegiate career, Jenna Caira nothced a program-best 97 wins, 28 shutouts and 1,051 strikeouts Courtesy of SU Athletics
Throughout the summer of 2010, Caira trained with Team Canada, inheriting valuable experience before returning to SU for her junior year. She felt much cleaner dotting the corners of the strike zone, getting ahead in the count, forcing ground balls and playing with more patience — all minor improvements that led to major results.
In her third season, Caira earned Big East Pitcher of the Year honors, posting career bests in appearances (53), wins (35), innings pitched (283.1) and strikeouts (321). The Orange breezed to a 41-11 regular season record and allowed just one run throughout the Big East Tournament. Caira fired a complete game shutout against Louisville in the championship game to secure back-to-back conference titles. In Syracuse’s first NCAA Tournament game, Caira tossed her second straight shutout against LSU, recording the program’s first-ever tournament win.
Caira stayed dominant in her final season. Sitting at 39-13, Syracuse played South Florida in its final regular season home game. Starting in the circle, Caira expected Bulls head coach Ken Eriksen to have an in-depth scouting report on her. The two faced off during international play when Team USA took on Canada. But whatever Erikson told his players had no effect on the senior, who no-hit the Bulls to earn SU’s 40th win.
“I just felt so calm and comfortable. I really just wanted to make this the best last day ever,” Caira said.
In 2012, Syracuse earned an auto-bid to its third straight NCAA tournament. Caira captured a win and a save as the Orange beat Long Beach State. In the regional finals against No. 2 Arizona State, SU needed to win two straight games to advance. Caira threw a four-hit shutout in game one against the nation’s second-best team, but the Orange fell just short in game two.
“It was a full team effort. It was an amazing opportunity to bring Syracuse on a big stage, and I think we held ourselves with such poise and composure,” Caira said.
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When her playing career ended, Caira returned to the Orange as a pitching coach. For the next two seasons, she helped develop players like Stacy Kuwik. Caira improved Kuwik’s change-up to mimic her’s.
“She was always very focused on how I could grow as a pitcher. Honestly, her academic mind being both an athlete but also a student of the game helped me see another way to play,” Kuwik said.
Caira’s impact on the Syracuse softball program and young girls playing the sport is immeasurable. Martin’s daughter, Jenna Martin, was named after Caira, whose father says the Syracuse standout has served as the No. 1 role model for girls’ softball in Ontario for the last 20 years.
“There’s nobody better that I’ve ever come across in the girls’ game that represents what you want your daughter to be like more than Jenna Caira,” Martin said. “It was an honor to work with her and be associated with her name, too.”
