ASHLAND – When Paige McMenemy transferred to Ashland University from Akron, the pitcher just wanted the chance to contribute.
Her team-leading 15 wins have definitely played a role in the Eagle softball team earning a berth in next month’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
“When I was looking in the summer, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to get into with anything, because it was a really last-minute thing. I was really hoping that I would get to contribute, but I didn’t know how much I would get to,” McMenemy said. “I was really just going day-to-day and trying to earn my spot.”
The Westerville Central grad has definitely earned her spot with her performance on the field this season. Her contributions place her among the top pitchers in the conference: McMenemy’s 15 wins are good for third place in the GLIAC, she is 8th in the conference with a 2.51 ERA, 9th with 88 strikeouts, and 14th in complete games with 8. She also has 3 saves and 2 shutouts.
Her experience in her first season as an Eagle has helped revive McMenemy’s love for the game she has been playing for about 15 years.
“I feel like I’m really enjoying softball again,” McMenemy said. “The alumni are such a big deal. This seems like it’s such a big program to be a part of. We do a lot of team bonding and I just think there are a lot of cool things that we do on and off the field and it just makes it really fun.”
The hurler started playing ball when she was 5 or 6 and began honing her pitching skills at 8.
“I just really got into it when I started playing travel ball and I just never stopped,” McMenemy said.
At Westerville Central, McMenemy was a three-time first-team All-Ohio Capital Conference selection. She also earned first-team All-Ohio honors and OCC Cardinal Player of the Year honors for both her junior and senior years and first-team All-District honors her senior year. She excelled both on the mound and at the plate, finishing her prep career with Westerville Central school records in career hits (152) and career strikeouts (747).
During her junior year of high school, McMenemy committed to attend the University of Akron to continue her softball career.
“I was doing camps and visiting campuses and I just remember she (Akron coach Julie Jones) came to a lot of my team’s games. She was looking at me and a couple of other players on my team. I went to camp and a visit shortly after and I committed my junior year,” McMenemy said. “I just really liked the campus and the programs seemed good, and the facilities.”
McMenemy called her experience at Akron “good” in spite of not playing much and being stuck behind an upperclassman.
“I learned a lot. I’d say it was a really good learning experience to bring me here,” McMenemy said.
During her two seasons with the Zips, McMenemy went 2-6 with 10 starts, 29 appearances, and 40 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings.
In the summer of 2016, McMenemy was told she probably would not get to contribute much this season, so she began her search for a new home.
“I started looking at schools and I just really liked Ashland,” she said. “I heard a lot of good things about the program. My pitching coach helped me with the recruiting and I heard nothing but good things about the coaches and the team, and I knew a couple of people on the team. Everything I heard was great things so I just couldn’t really say ‘no.’”
Coach Sheilah Gulas announced in February this would be her final season and later that month won her 900th career game. As the legendary coach wraps up her amazing career, McMenemy is thankful she got to play for one season under Gulas and is happy to be part of a program with such a strong tradition.
“Not very many people get to be a part of their coach’s 900th win. Seeing all the alumni come back and support her. The program has such a big legacy and it’s just really cool to be a part of something big like that,” McMenemy said.
Gulas said McMenemy is one of three transfers who are playing key roles for the Eagles this year.
“It’s been great that she’s here to give some depth to that pitching because we wouldn’t be where we are without her, but we wouldn’t be where we are without those other two transfers, too,” Gulas said.
The Eagles qualified for the GLIAC tournament for the 12th consecutive season with a doubleheader split on Sunday vs. No. 24 Wayne State and McMenemy is hopeful she and her teammates can keep their season going even beyond that.
“I hope we can keep finishing strong. I hope some things piece together. We have a ton of potential. We just have to keep piecing it together. I hope we make a strong run in the GLIAC tournament and beyond that,” she said.
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