By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– The Chemeketa Community College Softball team holds a special place in the heart of Chelsea Qualls.
The second-year Storm Head Coach played at Chemeketa Community College out of High School, out of West Salem High School, and having played for Chemeketa Coaching legend and NWAC legend Cassie Belmodis from 2006-2008 before going on to George Fox University. Belmodis started the Storm program back in 2000, and her 63-percent winning percentage as Head Coach is still a program-record years after Belmodis stepped away from the program.
Now as a Head Coach, Qualls is hoping to instill to this generation’s Storm Softball athlete’s the same standards that was bestowed on her nearly two decades ago that Belmodis gave to her group of Chemeketa players. All the while, rebuilding the program into a respectable program.
“Who I played for is so important to build it back up and to show the girls that they can be a part of something special. That they rebuilt this program. They brought this program to life,” Qualls starts. “They’re the one’s doing all the work. They’re the one’s putting in the lifting, the running, the extra time on-and-off the field. They’re busting their butts in the classroom. They’re doing all the work, and I couldn’t be more proud of how much work they’re putting in.”
In her first year last Spring, with only ten players to their name, the Storm reached the NWAC Postseason. Going 17-27 overall and 12-16 in a tough NWAC South Region that sent six of its eight teams to the postseason last Spring.
That team was freshman-heavy and return names like Aliyah Wilsey, Jessica Rule, and Abby Cavazos to go with a few new faces like Laney DeLoe, McKenna and McKayla Dodge and Zoe Moore to the roster. Not to mention, they got some depth this year with 16 girls on their roster. And all bring their own special attributes to the squad as well.
Pitching, they got depth especially. They won’t have to rely heavily on Rule, who pitched 179 innings as a freshman with 144 strikeouts with Wilsey, DeLoe, and Dodge to help alleviate Rule when need be. Their defense and their bats are expected to step up and help back their pitchers as they enter the opening weekend this weekend
“That’s what is going to be helpful. We have the defense to back her up. We got the bats to back them up. It’s just all a matter of coming together and putting it all together. It’s putting games together, playing together, I’m excited,” said Qualls.
“This team is probably the closest team that I’ve coached. They all get along. They all are working for each other and working towards the same goal. They may have their own individual goals, but as a whole together,. It’s something I’m looking forward towards and I’m excited. It’s a good group of girls.”
The Storm head to Columbia Basin Saturday to play the Hawks for a doubleheader.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
