Wauconda coach Tim Orisek might recall Jacey Schuler’s worst outing in an Antioch uniform almost as well as she does.
Two years ago, Orisek’s top-seeded Bulldogs pounded the ball against the star freshman early in a Class 3A sectional championship game. Schuler lasted just two-thirds of an inning, although the Sequoits mounted an epic comeback to win.
“We were able to square the ball up against her rise ball,” Orisek said. “We were able to put runners on, do things to get her rattled.”
Schuler, who allowed seven hits during that first inning, had to refocus.
“I was used to pitching every inning,” she said. “They hit me really hard that first inning, and I had to be pulled. That tore me up a little bit. I wanted to help the team out as much as I could. I knew I had to change my mindset into hitting.”
Antioch coach Anthony Rocco said Schuler, who went 3-for-5 with four RBIs in Antioch’s wild 18-11 win, displayed a rare gift for a freshman.
“I remember we took her out of the game, and she was very upset, but I just told her, ‘Listen, we still need you to hit and play defense,'” Rocco said. “Since that game, she’s been on top of her game. No one has been able to touch her. That stressful situation was a learning experience for her, and she has built on it.”
Indeed, Schuler, the 2023 News-Sun Softball Player of the Year, has been dominant ever since. The Michigan State commit went 19-2 with a 0.80 ERA and 270 strikeouts in 147 ? innings this season as the Sequoits (34-2) won the Northern Lake County Conference title and finished second in Class 3A. The player of the year for the second time, Schuler also hit .541 with nine home runs and 63 RBIs.
“I think this year compared to any year that my spin has gotten a lot better,” she said. “I also gained a couple of miles per hour, but that was not a big thing that changed. I was more competitive this year, but that’s not saying I wasn’t my freshman or sophomore year. It was just from being able to be so close to possibly winning state.”
Schuler, who also led Antioch to third place in 3A last year, had one of her best outings of the season in a 5-1 win against Wauconda in the Carmel Sectional championship game on June 2. Orisek took notice as the Sequoits knocked his team out of the playoffs for the third straight season.
“Where Jacey has improved is her rise ball is elite,” Orisek said. “Her rise and ability to spot pitches and put movement on the ball is really good. We just don’t seem to have success squaring any balls against her in the last couple of years.”
Orisek said Schuler not only is physically imposing but also has a strong mental makeup.
“Her mental approach is something that’s also different,” Orisek said. “Before, in the past, we were able to rattle her more. Now, even though we’re applying pressure at times, she’s able to dial it up more. She’s more focused. When her back is against the ball, she’s not going to bend or break.”
Rocco said Schuler, the Northern Lake County Conference player of the year, was the only non-senior voted to be a captain by her teammates.
“This year she has done it in all three aspects: in the circle, at bat and being a captain,” Rocco said. “She’s elite for a reason, whether at bat or in the circle. She did it all this year.”
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But Schuler said her career is missing one thing: a state championship. She’s motivated to bring home the first team state title in school history next year.
She isn’t resting on her laurels. She attended her travel team’s practice the day after Antioch’s 1-0 loss in 12 innings to Lemont in the state final on June 10.
“I always feel like there’s room for improvement, especially in my senior year,” she said. “I know I can get better.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.