As a pitcher, Richards’ Emily Chavosky has mastered the art of erasure from the circle.
Over her four standout years on the varsity, the senior right-hander has discovered the key is altering the terms of the classic confrontation that develops with the opposition’s hitters.
In her mind, Chavosky creates another world.
“I just act like nobody else exists — it’s just me and the catcher out there,” she said. “I never focus on what they’re trying to do but just think more about what I’m doing out there.”
Chavosky, a two-time all-area pick, definitely got the job done last season by going 18-7 with 225 strikeouts and a 2.04 ERA for the Bulldogs (20-9). She’s looking for an encore performance.
A setter during the fall season, Emily loves having the ball at her fingertips. Brenna Chavosky, a freshman pitcher/outfielder, also played alongside her older sister in volleyball.
Brenna described her sister’s dedication as being crucial to her success.
“She’s always putting in extra time to fix her pitches,” Brenna said. “In the fall, she’d go to school all day, set a volleyball game and then our mom would drive her to Indiana for pitching lessons.
“She only focuses on what she can contribute. She doesn’t worry about things out of her control.”
Richards coach Julie Folliard has watched Chavosky grow in continuously fascinating ways.
“Emily’s impact is threefold,” Folliard said. “An innate curiosity for pitching, always experimenting to make the ball move and having an elite gamer’s mindset.
“She’s at her best in the big moments, calm and steady against the toughest opponents.”
Using her wide range of experience, Chavosky has boosted her confidence to the point where she instinctively understands the pressure that comes from her position and how to deal with it.
“I always try to stay loose and have trust in my teammates,” she said. “I always try to remember that I play the game because it’s fun. I became a pitcher because I liked being all over softball.
“It helped me stay cool, calm and collected in hard situations.”
The 5-foot-7 Chavosky combines size with athleticism, a long stride and the ability to generate speed through her powerful legs. Her fastball has been timed at 62 mph.
“I think I do a little bit of everything,” she said. “I’m decently fast and I do a good job of mixing speeds. I’ve always had that ability to stay calm under pressure like having the bases loaded.”
Chavosky’s parents played volleyball at Oak Lawn. She inherited their competitive drive and passion.
“My parents always pushed me to be my best,” she said. “Being the oldest, I wanted to be the role model and practice even when I was tired. I think growing up, a part of me wanted to satisfy them.”
Still, Chavosky has also found the time pursue interests outside of sports. She played the clarinet when she was younger and is a fastidious collector of arts and crafts like sea shells.
She’s also an amateur painter and artist.
Her career as a pitcher is now in sharper focus after she elected to bypass college scholarships from smaller programs to study nursing at Illinois State.
“This feels pretty bittersweet,” said Chavosky, who started out in softball at age 5. “I’m still going to have a career playing club in college and coaching and offering pitching lessons for younger kids.”
She’s the first to recognize no pitcher is perfect. Even the best throwers learn to offset failure or disappointment. Going out with a vengeance here is the best path forward.
”The biggest thrill is just succeeding at something where I’ve struggled,” Chavosky said. “It reflects all the hard work and time I’ve put in and that makes me very proud of myself.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
