Kaia Oliver emerges as potential ace in Syracuse’s pitching rotation Courtesy of SU Athletics Facebook Subscribe to our sports newsletter here. When Kaia Oliver played her first season of club softball with the 10U Washington Kaos, she would throw some pitches with her eyes closed. She always had a knack for finding the strike zone, and at 10 years old, it was rare for her to give up hits. So her father and coach, Rob, wanted to challenge Oliver during games. “We’d have her close her eyes and pitch during the game,” Rob said. “She would actually close her eyes and just visualize the pitch (as she threw it).”