Junior pitcher Camryn Schaller has been one of the bright spots for Bradley softball this season.
In their last two wins nearly a month ago, the Braves benefitted from Schaller, who threw back-to-back shutouts against Evansville. The junior highlighted those two games as the highest point of her Braves’ career.
“For me, that was physical evidence of my hard work over the summer, fall, and winter breaks paying off,” Schaller said. “The two games against Evansville were amazing team wins. My teammates had my back each step of the way, my coaches believed in me the entire time and my parents were there to witness it all.”
Hailing from Ashland, Missouri, Schaller cites her parents as one of her biggest motivations when she has a bad game or is not feeling herself.
“My family is always there for me whether it’s good or bad,” Schaller said. “Even when the unavoidable bad game or outing happens, they are always there and always willing to talk through it. I can’t remember them ever missing a home series, which is a lot of driving. They’ve committed to me and my career over the years and I find a lot of motivation because of that.”
Away from the circle, Schaller is a volunteer, big sister, cat lover, and aspiring dentist. Her coaches, especially head coach Sarah Willis have raved about her intelligence, leadership and work ethic.
“She shows up every day and takes care of her business, that’s how she leads,” Willis said. She’s got a really fun personality; Camryn has some quirkiness to her. She’s a very bright individual. When it comes to her teammates she’s very perceptive and in tune with her teammates.”
In high school, Schaller was a star pitcher for the Southern Boone Eagles and won Tri-County Conference Pitcher of the Year in her senior year, posting an 18-5 record with a 1.06 ERA. The transition from Ashland, which has a population of just under 5,000, to a bigger city of Peoria was an easy one for Schaller.
“Honestly the adjustment wasn’t too difficult for me,” Schaller said. It was hard for me to leave my small hometown of Ashland, where I had all of my friends and family, and start my new life in Peoria. For me, my teammates and coaches were an instant built-in family; I was lucky to have such a wonderful support group as a new college freshman.”
Schaller chose to continue her athletic and academic career at Bradley because of its academic standards and small-town feel. Seemingly everyone on campus during her first visit greeted her without even knowing who she was and she enjoyed the appeal of OSF Healthcare Field and the rest of the Braves’ facilities.
“I’ll never forget committing to Bradley,” Schaller said. “At first, all I could get out was ‘I want to be a Brave’.
In her time on the Hilltop, Schaller has shown steady growth as a pitcher. In her first two seasons, the junior came out of the bullpen but showed tremendous improvement at the end of her sophomore season.
As a sophomore, Schaller limited MVC opponents to a .250 average and tied for fifth in school history with four career saves. Schaller has attributed her growth on the mound to mental discipline and gaining confidence in herself.
“Sometimes as an athlete or a person in general, we have an inner voice that may not always be the most supportive,” Schaller said. “At times in my underclassman career, I probably listened to that voice more than I should have. The timidness and honestly fear I felt, in the beginning, have disappeared.”
Despite the Braves’ struggles as of late, Schaller has been a bright spot for the team. Her 3.73 ERA leads the team and she’s struck out 77 batters in just under 66 innings of work.
“I have come to realize mentally, that this is a game,” Schaller said.“It’s supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be the time of my life, it’s supposed to leave me with some of my best memories. As soon as I saw softball as a game again, it was that much easier to just have fun and to trust my defense, trust myself, and just let go of the pressure.”
With clear eyes, Schaller will look to continue to be a focal piece of the rotation and as a leader in the clubhouse. While Bradley softball navigates choppy seas with a season full of changes to the staff, they’ll rely on their third-year pitcher to help captain the ship.
