Skipjacks open softball season with strength in pitching, hitting

WYE MILLS – The Chesapeake College softball team can be described in one word – balanced.

The Skipjacks feature a power-packed lineup and a well-armed pitching staff.

Those are the types of ingredients that separate Chesapeake from many opponents.

“Our pitching is looking very good,” Skipjacks’ sophomore third baseman Shyra Jones said. “And we have the power in the lineup to be really strong. Not every year, you are going to have where you can really pitch the ball and hit the ball. So, I am very excited.”

Chesapeake’s third-year coach Matt Elzey can’t complain about a lack of pitching. From sophomores Madison Gentry and Olivia Wheel to freshmen Hannah Schmitz and Brooke Stulir, Elzey has plenty of good options.

“I think we have a very good pitching staff,” Elzey explained. “We are anticipating it being a strength. Gentry was the top pitcher in the state last year. Wheel was second in the state last year in wins. Then we added Hannah who is a quality pitcher as well. We should be as good if not better than last year.”

Elzey has been particularly impressed with the 5-foot-10 Schmitz, a Damascus High graduate with a blazing fastball. She pitched club ball for three years up and down the East Coast in college showcases for an elite team, the Maryland Pride.

“Her strength is that she throws very hard,” Elzey said. “She is probably going to be one of the hardest throwers in our region, She has s great mix of pitches and she is very driven to compete.”

Gentry and Wheel accomplished a lot in 2022, helping the team to a 27-11 record.

Gentry earned Region 20 Division II First-Team honors last year. She went 15-5 with 116 strikeouts in 111 innings while fashioning a 3.26 ERA.

“She is a Division I transfer,” Elzey said of her arriving from Mount St. Mary’s. “She has the credentials to be a high-end pitcher. Every time, she took the mound, we felt we had a chance to win.”

Wheel was Region 20 Division II Second-Team selection last year, going 9-5 with a 3.48 ERA.

Whoever stands on the mound will get plenty of run support. Chesapeake returns the nucleus of a lineup that batted an eye-catching .480.

“We are more of a power-driven lineup this year,” Elzey said. “We want to be peaking at the end of the season when it matters the most.”

Jones was a Region 20 Second-Team pick after hitting .515 with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs.

“Her strength is consistently barreling the ball up,” Ezley said. “She puts a lot of balls in play.”

Sisters Megan and Cassidy Stubbs put up excellent numbers, too. Megan, a catcher batted .509 with eight home runs, 48 RBIs, 15 doubles and 58 runs scored,

“Megan has all the pieces to the puzzle,” Ezley said. “She does so many things well. She can shortstop, has power and can really run.”

Cassidy, a left fielder, hit 476 with six homers and 33 RBIs.

Two freshmen, second baseman Olivia Windsor, a Queen Anne’s County graduate, and first baseman Emily Gunther, have stepped right into the lineup and hit well.

“We are waiting to see how long it would take them to transfer their skills over from high school to college ball,” Elzey said. “It has been seamless. I couldn’t be prouder of how they have performed to this point.”