Why the Gillespie softball team will be tough to beat for years to come

STAUNTON — It’s kind of weird being the only senior around.

Gillespie shortstop Chloe Segarra is the only player from the Class of 2022. After five lifelong teammates graduated last year, she now tries to carry their example.

“I think the number one thing I learned from them was just how to be a good teammate,” Segarra said. “I mean, they all were really close and tight and they showed leadership.”

The Miners have certainly retained that chemistry. Segarra swelled with confidence over the young team’s potential and hasn’t been disappointed.

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Gillespie currently sits atop the South Central Conference at 22-3 overall and 6-0 in the league after Wednesday’s 12-0, six-inning drubbing over host Staunton.

“I wouldn't say I was surprised, but losing all of the seniors we did last year definitely felt like a new team for me,” Segarra said. “I've had fun though this season and I think we've all really connected well, which is been why we've been able to play so well.”

Big right arm

Coach Michelle Smith — and the rest of the team for that matter — fully expected to reach 20 wins for a second straight year.

That turned out to be a cinch and the Miners likely could’ve made a push for 30 by the end of the regular season if not for inclement weather.

“Yeah, I knew we'd do well,” sophomore pitcher Emma Gipson concurred. “I'm not surprised with our season so far at all. We're doing great. I'm really proud of them.”

Gipson powers the youth movement. The upstart phenom has a .542 batting average with eight home runs, 12 doubles and 49 RBIs.

That is only exceeded by her right throwing arm.

Gipson has started all but two games for a total of 142 1/3 innings. She has posted a 20-3 record with a 2.02 ERA and 235 strikeouts to boot.

“The year we started the middle school softball program was when she was in seventh (grade), so she started as our pitcher then,” Smith said. “Obviously as a seventh grader, she was our No. 1 and did a great job for us.

“Same scenario, she has just grown and gotten better hitting. But she spent a lot of time in the last several years just working to continue getting better at softball and playing higher level ball and spent a lot of time on her own to get better.”

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Every pitch comes with an audible grunt. Gipson said it started as a “power thing” but has now become part of her regular breathing routine.

She added that her strikeouts don’t necessarily stem from her velocity but rather the movement and spin on the ball.

“She's fun to play with and yeah, she does grunt but she brings it and it's fun to play behind her,” Segarra said.

Lighting it up

Watching college softball games on TV piqued Gipson’s interest and she started pitching as young as 8 years old.

“It really made me want the ball,” Gipson said of pitching. “I always wanted to be touching the ball. It's fun.”

Segarra similarly became intrigued with the game coming from a family of Chicago Cubs fans, including her dad Bobby and brother Trenton. The older sibling graduated in 2019 and played baseball at Lewis and Clark Community College.

Segarra herself will next play at Southwestern Illinois College. She currently touts a .395 hitting average with 27 RBIs and 30 runs and ripped her first home run of the season against the Bulldogs.

Her cousin, Isabella, also starts at second base.

“She brings a great barrel to the team,” Gipson said, “and she gives me some confidence if there's a ground ball or a little pop fly in the infield, I know she's going to be one of them to get it, and she's a tough player.”

Gillespie’s bats have been smoldering lately and tacked on seven runs after just two innings against Staunton.

“I think we just need to keep coming out with the energy we've been coming out with,” Segarra said. “We always play well when we're excited and just really up on our energy levels.”

Contact Bill Welt: bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA softball: Gillespie hits ground running despite young team