Wheeler’s Cadence Piunti has embraced the challenge in her sophomore season.
Piunti has ascended to the top of the Bearcats’ pitching staff and relishes the role.
“I love the pressure,” she said. “You gotta do what you gotta do.
“I feel like I work better under pressure. I like it. I don’t overthink it. I just go out there and play ball. I can’t do it by myself, period. It’s not just me.”
Piunti has posted a 4.12 ERA with 47 strikeouts and nine walks in 35 2/3 innings. She’s also hitting .348 with team highs of 11 runs scored and five stolen bases. When she isn’t pitching, she plays second base.
It hasn’t taken long for Piunti to impress first-year coach Reghan Stephany, a 2024 LaPorte graduate who played at Bowling Green State last season. Stephany took over the Bearcats (3-5) under athletic director Rylee Kruck, who coached her at LaPorte.
“She’s a very versatile player,” Stephany said of Piunti. “She is very, very strong on the mound. She does a lot for us, especially how young she is. She’s able to perform in that aspect for us, as well as the middle infield.
“She’s a great player, and she’s going to continue to be a key player next season and the season after that.”
Piunti already was a top player for the Bearcats last season, when they shared the Greater South Shore Conference title with Illiana Christian. She hit a team-high .514 with two homers, 14 RBIs, 31 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. She also had a 3.38 ERA with 47 strikeouts and five walks in 47 2/3 innings.
Piunti has built on that debut season.
“When I pitch, I’ve been really working on my approach and how I approach the batter — my pre-pitch talk to myself — and always trying to get ahead, trying to work ahead in the count,” she said.
“My approach is different this season. I’m really taking in all the details. I’m taking into account all the stuff I have to do and realizing I am a leader. I have to be a leader. If I’m in the circle, I have to set the tone.”
Then-freshman Grace Gabriel logged a team-leading 78 1/3 innings in the circle last season but transferred to Crown Point. Piunti primarily played in right field when she didn’t pitch.
She enjoyed her first high school season.
“It was awesome,” Piunti said. “The girls just made it 10 times better. We were just all in it together as a team. They were always supportive, and I did the same back to them.”
A similar atmosphere exists this season.
“I love the girls,” Piunti said. “The environment is what it’s all about. They make it fun coming to practice every day.
“The way we pick each other up and how we’re always loud in the dugout is when we do our best. It’s when we’re on. We’re a good team. We mesh together very well.”
Piunti and the Bearcats hope that translates into wins as they pursue success in the conference and in a Class 2A sectional that includes Andrean and Boone Grove.
Piunti, who also played volleyball as a freshman before deciding to focus on softball, will continue to do her part.
“She has a lot of confidence,” Wheeler junior third baseman Nora Howell said. “She is always positive, even if anything does go bad. She’s definitely one of the hardest-working on the team.”
