Shepard’s Kailey Selvage knows exactly what she wants to do — pitch in college.
The junior right-hander is doing everything within her power to make that happen.
A busy offseason of travel to camps across the Midwest, coupled with ongoing private pitching lessons, has put Selvage right where she wants to be — as a dominant force in the circle.
“In the winter, I really focused on bettering my mechanics, picking up my velocity, working on my spins,” Selvage said. “When I go to my lessons, I really work hard on good posture, keeping my shoulder back, staying balanced.
“I feel like that has gotten me a long way, and maintaining that hard work has gotten me into the position I’m in today.”
Selvage put the host Astros in position for a nail-biting victory Thursday, throwing a three-hit, complete-game gem for a 1-0 win over Oak Forest in a South Suburban Conference crossover.
Striking out six, Selvage retired the first 11 batters she faced for the Astros (5-3, 4-0 SSC Red) in Palos Heights before giving up a single to sophomore third baseman Morgan Reczkiewicz.
Oak Forest (5-2, 2-2 SSC Blue) got a strong performance from junior pitcher Melanie Andrysiak, who struck out eight. Reczkiewicz finished with a pair of singles, but got stranded both times.
Shepard coach Kelsey Clifford said she and Selvage had a heart-to-heart talk after last season, and that chat has been paying dividends.
Oak Forest’s Melanie Andrysiak winds up for a pitch against Shepard during a South Suburban Conference in Palos Heights on Thursday, April 11, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
“Last year, when she didn’t get a ton of mound time, she’s like, ‘Coach, what do you personally feel that I need to get better at?’” Clifford said. “She worked on hitting her spots, making sure her curve is on, her back door is on, her whole toolbox is working.
“And when it’s not, what’s the reason it’s not working?”
Selvage put in the work, and the miles, to get herself to this point for the Astros. She attended camps at St. Ambrose in Iowa, Loyola, Kentucky, Western Kentucky and Notre Dame.
And there were two reasons why.
“Working on getting exposure and meeting the coaches and developing my skills as a player and taking on new advice from other coaches at that collegiate level,” Selvage said. “And applying it to my skills and becoming a better version of myself in the long run.”
Shepard’s Kailey Selvage (3) connects on a pitch against Oak Forest during a South Suburban Conference in Palos Heights on Thursday, April 11, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
In fact, the only outing this season that Selvage might have been tougher than Thursday was Monday, when she pitched a no-hitter in a 13-0 victory against Richards.
Piling up those kinds of performances is getting her noticed, according to senior first baseman Sarah Kreamalmeyer.
“She wants to go big in college,” Kreamalmeyer said. “She loves softball. She’s a really good pitcher and has really good spin. She wants everybody to know who she is.”
Selvage, who is in her second varsity season, is doing this particularly well through social media.
Her feed on X, formerly known as Twitter, is loaded with videos of her private pitching lessons, for example. She also tags college programs and coaches so they can tune in on her progress.
Shepard’s Kailey Selvage (3) throws a pitch against Oak Forest during a South Suburban Conference in Palos Heights on Thursday, April 11, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Selvage acknowledged that she started the recruiting process a little bit late, but this summer, she is planning on having a much clearer vision of what her future will look like.
That’s why her goal now is to leverage what she’s learning, work fast, throw strikes and showcase her repertoire as much as she can.
She’s comfortable playing at any level in college — just as long as she gets there.
“You really need to show the coaches you want it,” she said. “It’s definitely a long process, and it takes time, but as long as you stay true to yourself and you work for it and you show these coaches you want it, I feel it’s achievable for anyone.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
