Rachel Gillen has surpassed the 1,000 strikeout mark for Archmere Academy and will head for the University of Virginia.
Photo by Ron Siliani
The saying goes that you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Archmere Academy (Claymont, Del.) pitcher
Rachel Gillen took full advantage of that opportunity.
"I knew after her fifth pitch in our first practice her freshman year she was special," former Archmere Academy softball coach MaryPat Kwoka said. "The school told me I had a good pitcher when I took the job that year, and that was a huge understatement."
Gillen has had plenty of reasons tosmile during her prep career,including multiple All-American honors.
Photo by Ron Siliani
What can't be understated is the impact Gillen, a two-time Gatorade Delaware Player of the Year and three-time first team all-state selection, has had on the softball program at the private school. Kwoka said only seven girls tried out for the team Gillen's freshman year and the coach had to beg players to come out so they could at least field a team.
Today the Auks are 14-0, ranked No. 1 in the state and poised to make a run at the school's first state softball title. Gillen's awards are numerous and include being named the state's player of the year in 2010, but her impact is immeasurable.
"Rachel has had much to do with the success that our softball program has enjoyed during the past three years," athletic director Bob DePew said of the two-time Under Armour All-American. "She has been an outstanding ambassador for Archmere Academy and I believe that her accomplishments and those of our team have generated significant interest in Archmere Academy on the part of prospective students who desire to play high school softball."
The lefty entered her senior season coming off a junior year when she pitched six no-hitters. This season she is 14-0 with a 0.32 ERA and has pitched every single inning for the Auks. According to first-year coach Walter Hagelstein, his star pitcher won't miss an inning unless there is a lopsided score. However, he also added that his unselfish co-captain would be the first to step outside the circle if asked.
"We've talked about situations when she might be pulled, like if we have a big lead, and she was fine with that," he said. "She even said she'd be fine if she was pulled in the middle of a no-hitter, but I'd never do that. She's as unselfish a player as she is spectacular."
Gillen's stats are nothing short of spectacular. She has 65 career wins, including 24 no-hitters, and this season has struck out 198 batters in 89 innings using a combination of her five pitches: curve, screw, rise, drop and changeup.
"I try to mix them up and keep batters guessing," she said.
Hagelstein says Gillen's talent comes from a combination of technical skills and self-determination.
"She has very dynamic stuff," he said. "Her pitches have great top and great movement. She can spot it. And she is very, very competitive. She demands a lot of herself."
Both her former and current coach say Gillen is as unselfish as they come. In fact, when she recently recorded her 1,000th career strikeout — although not official, Hagelstein believes that is a state record — she was embarrassed because the media attention took away from the team's big win against Smyrna, the team that knocked the Auks out of last year's state tournament.
"She doesn't care about individual stats at all," Hagelstein added. "All of her success comes from being someone of such high character. She is very team oriented."
The team she will play for at the next level is the University of Virginia. Gillen said the decision was a difficult one but that she's confident Charlottesville is where she wants to continue her stellar career.
"The total fit of UVA was perfect," said Gillen, who plans to pursue a career as a sportswriter or broadcaster. "The academics are second to none and the softball program plays in the ACC, which is one of the top conferences in the country. I really like the Charlottesville area and I had a very comfortable feel with the coaches, athletic staff and the team."
Gillen is famous for pitching,but also is expected to makean impact as a hitter in college.
Photo by Ron Siliani
Although she is best known for her accomplishments while playing inside the circle, Gillen's stats in the batter's box are just as impressive. She hit .754 as a sophomore, .661 as a junior and this season carries a .641 average to the plate. A recent box score summary in The News Journal sums up her all-around talent: Rachel Gillen threw a no-hitter, struck out 10 and went 4-for-4, scoring four runs and driving in two.
Virginia softball coach Eileen Schmidt was clear that she plans to make sure Gillen's bat stays in the lineup even when she's not pitching.
"I think she is most known for her work in the circle, but she swings a huge lefty bat," Schmidt said in a press statement after Gillen signed her letter of intent. "When she's not pitching, we will find somewhere else for her to keep that bat in the lineup."
The Wilmington native carries a 3.75 GPA and is very active as a volunteer in the community. In addition to making meals for the homeless in association with two area charities, she has volunteered locally on behalf of Special Olympics, as part of a literacy-outreach program and as a youth pitching instructor.
Gillen hopes her senior season ends with a state championship, after which she'll spend the summer playing for her club team, the Gold Coast Hurricanes. And then in late August it's off to Charlottesville, to a new team with a chance to make another strong first impression, just like she did on Kwoka four years ago.
"She is as nice of a person as she is great as a softball player," Kwoka said. "She's even more of a phenomenal pitcher because she's a phenomenal person."
Jon Buzby is the sports columnist for the Newark Post, a freelance writer, and on the broadcast team for the 1290AM The Ticket High School Football and Basketball Games of the Week. You can reach him at jonbuzby@hotmail.com.
