MOUNT VERNON – The word used over and over again last Wednesday was sacrifice.
As Mount Vernon softball coach Ryan Pentz and baseball coach Nathan Hunt told those in attendance on National Signing Day, the four senior Yellow Jackets signing to play at the next level that afternoon had all given something in order to earn that opportunity.
For Kiley Lowe and Jasmine Davidson, it meant playing JV softball for three years, even though their talent would have landed them on varsity rosters at most other schools. They were willing to play JV as juniors, while the seniors ahead of them led the varsity program on one final state tournament run. They sacrificed.
For Bryn Elliott, it meant playing catcher for Mount Vernon her entire high school career, even though she was recruited by Walsh University to play third base. The Yellow Jackets needed a catcher, and no one could do it better than Elliott, so she gladly obliged. She sacrificed.
For Tristen Taylor, it meant showing up to practice early and staying late, putting in uncommon hours so he could accomplish an uncommon feat: being able to pitch – and pitch well – with both arms. Taylor developed multiple pitches with both his right and left arms, making him virtually unhittable on the mound. He sacrificed.
“As you’re going through this process, what I’m going to tell you is, you’re going to have to sacrifice a little bit to get good,” Pentz told the crowd of softball and baseball teammates that attended the signing day ceremony. “That’s how they got so good. They sacrificed.”
Last Wednesday marked the first day college recruits could make their commitments official with a National Letter of Intent signature. Taylor signed to play baseball at Ashland University; Elliott signed to play softball at Walsh University; Lowe signed to play softball at Wilmington College; and Davidson signed to play softball at Hiram College.
“It’s very overwhelming. I’m really, really excited,” Elliott said. “I mean, it’s gonna be a really cool next four years and I’m excited to know where I’m going.”
Elliott has been crucial to the Mount Vernon softball program’s success in recent years. She has started at catcher all three years, having mastered what Pentz called “the toughest position on the field.”
During her time behind the plate, Mount Vernon has won three straight conference championships. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the regional title game last year for the first time in nearly two decades.
Elliott said she considered several other schools before committing to Walsh last year.
“I just love the coach, that’s the biggest reason, and I love the environment they have there…” Elliott said. “I just felt like none of the other [schools] really felt like home, like Walsh did.”
Elliott plans to study psychology in college, with the goal of one day becoming a clinical psychologist.
“I was around kids when I was younger… and I think I just developed this want to help people,” Elliott explained.
The Yellow Jackets graduated three college signees from last year’s team, including pitchers Hope Straight (Ohio State) and Macee Marcum (Cleveland State). Lowe, who pitched at the JV level last season, is expected to come in and start this spring.
Lowe said she chose D-III Wilmington College because it fit her needs academically and athletically. She plans to enroll in the school’s pre-med track, with the goal of one day becoming a physician’s assistant.
“It’s helping people,” said Lowe, echoing Elliott’s career thoughts, “and that’s what I like to do.”
Lowe will grace the varsity diamond this spring for the first time alongside Davidson, who started at shortstop last year for the JV Jackets. Davidson plans to study psychology at D-III Hiram, although she does not have a specific dream job in mind.
“I just chose psychology because I love how the human brain works and I just think it’s pretty fascinating,” Davidson said. “It’s something I feel like I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.”
Davidson also plans to play the sport she loves for four more years, which she said is a dream come true.
“It’s just a really big dream that I’ve had since I was really little, to play college softball,” she said. “And now that it’s finally happening today – that it’s finally official – it’s just so crazy to me. I don’t even really have words for it.”
When asked about spending time on JV as sophomores and juniors, both Davidson and Lowe said they did it for the good of the program. They were willing to make that sacrifice, as long as it benefitted the team.
“It’s just playing for the team, not really for yourself. You’re playing wherever you’re needed,” Davidson said. “If we were needed on JV, then that’s where we needed to be to perform our best and to help others perform their best.”
“It was tough definitely,” Lowe conceded, “but on JV we also had [Coach] Townley and she was a really great coach, and I’ve always been close with [former coach Mike Marcum] as well. It’s just kind of understanding where I’m at… I had Hope and Macee [on varsity], and I’m a pitcher. So they had big things and they were doing their thing and they did a great job, and it’s just kind of waiting your turn.”
Noting Lowe and Davidson’s talent, Pentz lauded their patience in recent years. He said expectations will be high for this year’s senior class.
“These three girls have sacrificed a lot to be here…” Pentz said. “I’m expecting big things as these three girls come out this year, on the aspect of senior leadership.”
While Pentz said the team has not set official goals for the upcoming season, all three signees seemed optimistic that this year’s team could make another tournament run.
“I think we’re gonna have a really good season. We still have a really strong lineup,” Elliott said. “I mean, losing Hope and Macee’s gonna be a big factor, but I think we’re still gonna be great and I’m so excited to see how it goes.”
“Right now, we’re setting our goals as getting a little bit better every day,” said Pentz, who took over for Mike Marcum after he resigned as head coach this offseason. “We talk about how if we can just get a little bit better each and every day, then at the end of the year, we’ll succeed.
“And you know, we have won three conference championships in a row. Of course, I think every team in the OCC’s got that same goal – they want to win that. We hold that same goal. We want to keep the tradition alive.”
Last Wednesday’s final signee was Taylor, one of the baseball team’s top pitchers. Aside from his ability to throw with both arms, Taylor also held a unique role on last year’s pitching staff: he essentially served as a middle reliever.
Taylor pitched in 22 of the team’s 26 games, including a span of 19 straight, maintaining a 2.42 ERA. He struck out 28 batters in 28 ⅓ innings, using a mid-80s fastball and an array of offspeed pitches to fool opponents.
“It was weird. He had to fall in this role where he was basically a mid-relief in high school, which never happens. He pitched in 19 consecutive games… and we were able to keep him under 30 pitches, so we could always use him,” Hunt explained. “It was great. It was great to have like an Andrew Miller-type in high school.”
Taylor said he began playing baseball “around the age of 2 or 3.” His father became his pitching coach, and he remains in the Mount Vernon dugout to this day. The senior said last week that signing with D-II Ashland felt surreal.
“It feels great knowing that I get to compete at the next level,” he said. “Ever since I started baseball I’ve dreamed about playing at the next level.”
Taylor plans to study biology at Ashland and eventually enter the school’s pre-med track.
“I just felt like the medical field was an interesting place to study,” said Taylor, adding that he’s always been into science.
Taylor said Ashland recruited him partly because he could throw with both arms. Taylor can face one batter left-handed, switch his glove, then face the next batter right-handed. This versatility ruins scouting reports and makes Taylor entirely unpredictable for those in the batter’s box.
Hunt believes Taylor will be able to continue his two-arm excellence at the next level, given his work ethic and attitude.
“He has this work ethic that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, where he’s in there doing bands right-handed, he’s in there doing it left-handed,” Hunt said. “He finds a way to make time, which in college, you have to make time to get better, and I think that’s why he’ll be successful.”
Last year was Hunt’s first as Mount Vernon’s head coach. Taking over the program, Hunt said he needed ‘team’ guys. Taylor was one of the first to step up. Hunt believes the senior will assume a similar mindset when he steps onto the field at Ashland.
“He’ll be a program guy, a team guy. Because as a junior, he was only a pitcher. And to be a PO in high school’s tough – to say, ‘This is my role and I’ll do it,’” Hunt said. “So that’s another thing he’ll bring to Ashland. He won’t just be a pitcher, he’ll be a good team guy.”
The Yellow Jackets went 14-12 last season, placing third in the OCC. Taylor has high expectations heading into his final season of high school baseball; he wants to bump his fastball up to 90 miles per hour, and he wants to help Mount Vernon win a trophy.
“We have a lot of team goals I’d like to accomplish,” Taylor said. “Win the conference and then go from there.”
