Kaley Wise had to show a lot of maturity and a lot of courage as an 18-year-old. It wasn’t easy but she did what was necessary.
Life is good now because of it, for both Wise and the Mercer County Community College softball team.
After graduating from Steinert and pitching the Spartans to victory over Middletown South in the NJSIAA Group III championship game, Wise was set on continuing her career at Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania. But a month before leaving, Kaley got a tad concerned about taking out a whopping $180,000 in student loans. Her major is education, and she wondered when that would ever get paid off on a teacher’s salary.
“I started to have second thoughts,” she said. “I have a very close-knit family, so that played a part in it. But the money thing was also a big part, especially when looking at the amount of money I was going to be paying for the same classes I would take at Mercer for a lot less. I’d get the exact same things and probably a better softball career as well. It took me a while to figure it out, but I figured it out.”
Making the call to Alvernia was not easy, however, as no kid wants to tell an adult she has to let them down.
“It was embarrassing,” Wise said. “I am never someone who goes back on my word, I always follow through on commitments. For me to say, ‘Just kidding, changed my mind!’ It was tough and I felt bad.”
An unsympathetic coach (who is no longer there) made things even more difficult. When asked if she understood, Wise said, “No, not really. The coach was upset. She was more like, ‘Well, if that’s the decision you have to make, then that’s fine.’ She made me feel bad, she didn’t hold back. But it’s what I had to do, it was for my benefit.”
‘She’s our number one pitcher. She’ll pitch every meaningful game for us this year.’
It turned out to be beneficial for all involved (well, except Alvernia). Wise has not only become one of Region XIX’s top hurlers, she has earned a half athletic scholarship to Chestnut Hill (Pa.), which has the education major Wise is looking for.
“In total, for four years of college, I’m probably going to pay what one year at Alvernia would have cost me,” she said. “I think I made out pretty well.”
The numbers would agree, both financially and on the stat sheet. As a freshman last year Kaley went 15-4 with 15 complete games and a 1.42 ERA. She recorded 125 strikeouts while allowing just eight walks in 128.1 innings. Wise was the team’s leading pitcher and earned first-team All-Region 19.
“She was phenomenal last year,” coach Ryan Zegarski said.
“You could just see in high school the confidence she had,” the veteran coach continued. “You’d show up at a game and the scoreboard would say 4-0 and you wouldn’t know if she was winning or losing 4-0. She was very business-like all the time and her body language was always fantastic. As a coach that’s important. Good, bad or indifferent, she has the same mentality all the way through. She doesn’t let anything bother her.”
Wise is right back at it this year. Through the Vikings 11-2-1 start as of March 19, Wise was 4-1 with a save and 1.27 ERA. She struck out 56 and walked four in 44 innings.
“She’s our number one pitcher,” Zegarski said. “She’ll pitch every meaningful game for us this year.”
Wise entered college riding the high of the state title game, which she did not even know she would be pitching until moments before the game. After winning Steinert’s first-round game, Wise was bumped as Kaylee Whittaker pitched the next four games, and pitched well.
“Whit was younger than me, I always supported her, but when she started getting starts in the state tournament, I’m thinking to myself, ‘What did I do? Did I do something wrong, am I in trouble?’” Wise said. “I knew for the team it was just what (coach Jean Ruppert) thought was the best, and if it was for the best, I’m not gonna be the girl to say, ‘Well, why am I not starting?’ She didn’t really explain it to me at the time, but I didn’t go too harshly on myself. There’s a reason for everything, and it all turned out in our favor.”
It stood to reason Whittaker would pitch the final, but Ruppert usually makes her decision based on warm-ups and her feel for things, and tabbed Wise at the last moment. She responded in the biggest—and most unexpected—game of her life with a complete-game three-hitter in a 6-2 win.
Just how did she keep her nerves in check?
“I wish I could say I did keep them in check,” Wise said with a laugh. “After the game I was hysterical, crying. I remember coming into the dugout, and I stopped to breathe and my hands were shaking. I just did what I could. That’s what a team does, it works together.”
Wise said her performance gave her a huge confidence boost, as she admitted that she gets down on herself too much.
“My dad always says I never give myself enough credit,” Wise said. “If I did good, I’d say I’m not playing good competition; or the other team had a rough game. After pulling out the state tournament with my team I thought, ‘Hey, maybe you can pitch on the college level.’”
Wise came to Mercer with a full complement of pitches, including a fastball, curve, drop curve, change-up, rise ball and screwball. Her performance last year blew Zegarski away.
“She surpassed my expectations,” he said. “I didn’t think she was gonna be as good as she was. I was hoping she’d be the girl to come in and throw strikes. She knows the position and dominated more teams than I expected her to dominate.”
Wise did not surpass or fall short of her own expectations, only because, “I didn’t expect anything. I had to work hard to be good and I’m proud of the way I’ve been performing but there’s always room for improvement.”
She feels the biggest changes in her from high school to college is her mindset. Wise grew mentally and established her personality in the circle, which has helped her go after hitters. Having a better change-up hasn’t hurt either.
“It’s a heck of a lot better,” Wise said. “I don’t know why, but I always struggled with my change-up in high school. I went through a bunch of different ways to release it and finally found one that works for me.”
Wise has also found a nickname that works well for her.
“The whole team calls her Mom,” Zegarski said. “She’s such an all-around great person that everyone loves. She takes care of everybody before herself and she’s a great leader.”
Mom? Explanation please.
“It’s exactly what it sounds like,” Wise said, laughing. “I’m the responsible one. “If another girl is driving, I’m like, ‘Seatbelts everyone!’ I am that person. If somebody gets a cut I say, ‘Come here, let me take care of that.’ I make sure all the homework is done. I’m always saying, ‘Make sure you study!’”
No wonder she is an education major.
“I want to do elementary, I like the little ones,” she said. “I guess that’s why I’m Mom. It’s coming full circle.”
And whether Mom will have a winning softball family next year remains to be seen, but that’s not Wise’s major concern.
“Chestnut Hill is good for my major,” she said. “The coach is very nice, I clicked very well with the girls I met, which is very important to me. Team chemistry is very big deal in my book. They offered me a lot of money, so I don’t care how much I win. So if I’m having fun and I’m doing my best that’s really all that matters.”
Every mom should be such a class role model.
Kaley Wise,
