Analysis: CM softball’s senior leadership keeps team stable, positive

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express
Central Mountain ace Adalynn McKeague (11) pitches during the team’s game against Danville on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at Central Mountain.

MILL HALL– Central Mountain is well-aware of the caliber of team and the character of players in its dugout this year. Between the rain-outs and a tightened schedule, the Wildcats are playing well to start the season. Central Mountain picked up a 19-9 win over Selinsgrove on Tuesday afternoon. In a game that looked lopsided–and it was very much so–the Seals did have momentum for some time.

Central Mountain’s veteran coaching from Fred Caldwell and senior leadership from Madison Hardy, Madison Wian, Sophie Mitchell, Adalynn McKeague and Taylor Wahlers, among others, provides the Wildcats with confidence. Enough stability to the point that after a 13-run lead dwindled down to seven in a matter of winning, the Wildcats kept faith in each other to hold on tight for a smooth landing.

“They’re the leaders. There’s a lot of things this year that I don’t have to do,” Central Mountain coach Fred Caldwell said after Tuesday’s game. “They’re in a routine, they know what to expect. I tell them what to set up and they know how to set it up. They definitely lead the team by themselves, their leadership is amazing.”

That routine has led to Central Mountain’s 3-1 start to the season, including two wins with 10 runs or more. The Wildcats’ success stems from its experienced seniors. They have set the foundation for what can be a strong year after the Wildcats return a heavy number from last year’s squad and have added depth to the chart as well.

Hardy leads the team in batting average (.750), on-base percentage (.750), tied for first in homers with junior Cora Myers (4) and is in a three-way tie with Wian and Wahlers for runs on the team. Wahlers wasn’t a particular standout in Tuesday’s game (0 for 3 at the plate) but she reached base twice on fielders’ choice plays and batted in a run in the third inning, contributing to Central Mountain’s hitting party any way that she could.

Selinsgrove didn’t necessarily play like their record on Tuesday afternoon. They have two solid hitters in the one and five holes that can make plays if other Seals can contribute. And in the fifth inning, at all costs, they played well with their backs against the wall with six runs, scoring at will.

Turning a 13-point deficit to single digits can boost a team’s morale to the moon, and for Central Mountain on the other side of it, a 16-9 game could have gone downhill quickly with a possible two innings left.

Good teams face adversity and learn from it later but great teams face it and excel during those hard times to win in the moment. Wian did that as a relief pitcher, something she hadn’t done yet in her career for Central Mountain. Her three inning, six strikeout and five-walk outing stemmed from her coach’s–and team’s–confidence in her.

“It goes back to their experience. They’ve played in enough tight games. We played four extra inning games a couple of years ago and they’re used to the grind. They don’t give up, they don’t panic,” coach Caldwell said.

DEEP PITCHING

Central Mountain must breed deep pitching because just like its baseball team, the softball team is developing the future in the midst of a strong senior core. Adalynn McKeague is no doubt Central Mountain’s ace–she pitched the Wildcats to state tournament berths and broke the school’s single-season strikeout record–but she graduates this year.

Coach Caldwell has already begun preparing for her departure. Freshman Camdyn Weaver produced a good first start, holding Selinsgrove to just three runs and five walks in three innings with two strikeouts. She threw 68 pitches.

Wian came in and completed the job with her first save of the season but the win for Wian and the start for Weaver were pivotal for more than just today. Central Mountain played its second game of five for this week and with that type of schedule, all players–but especially the pitching–have to be on board.

McKeague pitched five innings in Monday’s loss to Mifflin County while Weaver pitched two. With two games and a weekend tournament upcoming, McKeague’s rest against Selinsgrove was vital.

The game also showed the depth that Central Mountain has in hitting, which hadn’t been new news to anyone, but also in pitching, which unveils a new layer of the well-fortified team the Wildcats are building.

“We have a five-game schedule this week and I obviously can’t rely on one pitcher for all of them so we used the whole staff,” coach Caldwell explained. “Cam (Weaver) I would call her the future of the program. She’s a freshman and she’s going to be around for a few years (so) we want to bring her along gradually. Madisyn Wian hasn’t pitched for us a lot but she pitched for her travel team so I know she can do it, I have faith in her. It was nice for those two to be able to give Addy (McKeague) a rest.”