Softball: Watkins Memorial thrives on competition
Thursday, March 28, 2024
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Watkins Memorial catcher Jordyn Wycuff is an Ohio University commit who won the Johnny Bench award last year as the best high school catcher in Ohio. File photo
Jordyn Wycuff laughed when recalling her first experience playing for Watkins Memorial coach Michael Jellison.
Wycuff was in her first year as a softball player when Jellison cut her from the Watkins Youth League 8U All-Star team.
“Yeah, that did happen,” Wycuff chuckled before adding. “It’s funny to think about that with how close we are now. The relationship that we’ve developed is definitely special. He’s a special person in my life.”
Wycuff was a first-year softball player and hadn’t even started catching yet. That would come a couple of years later.
“I think I just kind of needed something new,” Wycuff said. “My dad used to play baseball and he’s a big sports guy. So, he said, ‘Let’s try softball.’ A couple of my friends were playing it. I signed up to play rec ball when I was eight and fell in love with it instantly.
“I started catching a couple of years into travel. Our team actually didn’t have a catcher and they asked me if I could try. I went after practice with my dad, and he threw me balls against the fence. I just had a facemask and a glove. I was just catching balls and was like, ‘This is fun.’ All of a sudden, we bought gear and I fell in love with it.”
Why did Jellison cut her?
“She was small … she was really little,” he said. “She couldn’t catch, and she couldn’t throw. We laugh about it now – she just wasn’t very good. She kept playing and got into travel ball. She started to get better and started to fill out a little bit – she got stronger. She’s just worked and put the time in.”
Wycuff has developed into one of the top players in the state at her position, winning the Johnny Bench Award last season as the best high school catcher in Ohio.
Jellison’s daughter, Madison, also won the award in 2021 and Pickerington Central’s Zoie Smith won in 2020 and Delaware Hayes’ Myiah Cloud won in 2022.
“Jordyn is one of the kids where if you’ve never met (her) – you’re missing out on something special,” said Jellison, who is in his 11th season as Watkins’ coach. “She is probably our most talented (and) most athletic player on the team. But she’s also the best teammate. She really wants everybody else to do as well as she does. Everybody loves Jordyn and she loves everybody else.”
Watkins Memorial head coach Mike Jellison talks to his team during last year’s tournament run. File photo
Wycuff, an Ohio University signee, isn’t the only talented catcher with the Warriors. Senior Ava McKee is a Bowling Green commit.
McKee played her first two seasons at Hartley before transferring to Watkins. Her foray into becoming a catcher is a little bit different than Wycuff’s.
“I actually was a gymnast before,” she said. “My mom (Claudia McKee) was a junior Olympian. I actually had to choose between competitive (gymnastics) and softball and I told my mom I wanted to do softball. I just love it. My mom was so good at her – I don’t know – I just kind of wanted to be good at my own thing. When I was 6 years old, I was the only one that wanted to get behind the plate and catch and put the gear on. When I was 8 and I started travel (ball), that’s when I started catching full time.”
Watkins finished 28-2 last season after a 2-1 loss to Whitehouse Anthony Wayne in a Division I state semifinal. It was the Warriors’ third consecutive appearance in the state tournament after never having been before. Watkins hadn’t even won a district championship before this current run.
While competing against opponents is important, Jellison fosters a relationship where teammates rival each other on the practice field.
It’s the reason freshmen Gracie Gebhardt (3B/C) and Bryna Davis (OF/1B/P) are on the roster.
“I tell my (middle school coaches) they have one job. I need to have three players that are ready to start as freshmen,” Jellison said. “It doesn’t matter who I have coming back. My girls know that competition is what breeds excellence. For my freshmen – (their) job is to take the junior or senior’s spot. The juniors and seniors’ job is to make sure the freshman doesn’t outwork them and take their spot.”
So, how did he decide on his primary catcher?
“She just wanted to be able to compete,” Jellison said. “Ava is that selfless teammate that just wants to do what’s best for the team. Our team is better with her playing third base. Once I explained to her because she’s better at third base (her second position) than Jordyn is in right field or center field. So, Ava’s sacrificed what she wants to do a little bit and is more willing (to do) what the team needs because that’s what she wants to do.”
Carsyn Cassady, shown pitching during the OHSAA state tournament last season, is a Michigan State commit who has been first-team All-Ohio the past two years. File photo
McKee had no problem with the move.
“I’m very versatile – I’ll play anywhere,” McKee said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win. If that means playing third base, then I’m going to play third base because I know I can play anywhere. It’s always great to have competition … always. I love (Jordyn). I love her attitude – she’s so positive. If I’m catching, she’s cheering me on and if she’s catching, I’m cheering her on. We love each other.”
The Warriors, who opened the season 4-0 in Destin, Florida, feature a litany of talent.
Senior pitcher Carsyn Cassady was first-team All-Ohio the last two years after being second team as a freshman. She is signed to play at Michigan State. Cassady has allowed just one unearned run in 14 innings so far this season. She’s allowed seven hits and five walks and has struck out 29 batters in four games.
“We mesh so well together and we’re obviously really close off the field too,” said Wycuff, who is batting .733 (11-for-15) with two doubles and a triple, eight runs and seven RBIs in four games this season. “We look at each other and we’ll have the next pitch in our heads. There’s this grin and we shake our heads, ‘Yes’ and know exactly what’s going on.
“I go to all her lessons with her, so I know her mechanics pretty well. It’s benefited us too. If her curveball is not breaking enough. I can usually help her fix that – so that’s a big, big part of the success that we’ve had.”
McKee is 4-for-8 with eight RBIs and six runs in four games.
Senior Cortney Dobbs (2B/SS) is 7 of 9 with two home runs, two doubles, six runs and 11 RBIs and junior Maleya Thompson (SS/3B), a Houston commit, has one home run and seven RBIs in four games.
The Warriors are trying for a state championship, for sure. But they’ve already left a legacy.
“I’m so proud of how far our program has come and the impact that we’ve had on it,” Wycuff said. “I’ll be forever grateful that we represented our hometown like that.”
Cortney Dobbs, who is off to a great start for Watkins Memorial, slides into home for another Warriors’ run during last season’s tournament. File photo