Medicine Hat News

Softball specialist moves on

Pitcher ready to take on NCAA Division 2

 DARREN STEINKE

dsteinke@medicinehatnews.com

She has only made one visit to the campus, but Medicine Hat softball player Jade Weinkauf feels like she has found a second home at West Virginia State University.

While playing for the Calgary Kaizen this past summer, Weinkauf was recruited by post-secondary programs and went on official visits to a couple of schools in the United States. When she arrived in the small college town of Institute and saw the campus, Weinkauf felt like she belonged.

"I loved everything about that school," said Weinkauf, who plans to study to become a speech therapist. "I loved the girls.

"I loved the campus itself. They have great courses and everything. It seemed like a right fit. It felt like home."

The fit was so good that Weinkauf has verbally committed to joining the school’s Yellow Jackets softball program. She is slated to sign her national letter of intent this coming Thursday at McCoy High School, where she is completing her Grade 12 studies.

This 17-year-old hurler could have waited longer to see what other letters would come to her door and go on more visits, but is glad to have her path after high school set.

"It is kind of like a relief almost, because I actually have somewhere to go," said Weinkauf. "I think it is really going to push me forward to keep up with everything."

In order to play A level softball, Weinkauf has been commuting to Calgary the past three summers to play with the Kaizen. This season, she was the team’s ace pitcher as they earned a berth at nationals.

When she arrived in Calgary, her main pitch was a drop ball. Under the guidance of the Kaizen coaches, she developed a changeup, a screwball, a rise ball and her fastball has been clocked at 63 miles per hour.

"I have improved quite a bit over the years," said Weinkauf. "One thing that my coaches have really stressed is to make sure that (the delivery) is the same, so your pitch isn’t readable. I think it is coming."

Yellow Jackets head coach Bob Allen said that he was impressed with Weinkauf’s attitude. Weinkauf practised with the team in kind of a tryout type situation.

Besides coming away impressed with how well her drop ball worked and how many ground ball outs she induced, Allen also saw a natural fit with the team’s veterans. The team offered her a scholarship offer to play for the NCAA Division two school.

"She is a great kid," said Allen over the phone from Institute. "We are just pleased. It is hard to express how happy we are to have her committed.

"I believe that she is going to be an important part of our program and our team, and I believe she is going to have four great years down here."

Before leaving for West Virginia, Weinkauf will play one more campaign this summer in with the Kaizen in Calgary. She drives up every Sunday to practice with the team, and she throws during three different individual sessions on her own in a gym every week.

Besides those practice sessions, Weinkauf is starting to get back into a workout schedule with Ed Stiles through Alberta Sport Development Centre located out of Medicine Hat College.

While she has given her verbal commitment, Weinkauf is looking forward to signing day.

"I am so excited and overwhelmed over the whole thing actually," she said. "It is a big step."