McCall, Hindman named all-state
SLIPPERY ROCK —Their high school careers are over, but Macy McCall and Cheyenne Hindman received one final and very fitting honor on Wednesday.
The recently-graduated Slippery Rock High softball stars were named All-State, with McCall making first team as a third baseman and Hindman earning second team as a pitcher.
Both played a huge role in the Rockets winning the program's first-ever District 10 title in May.
“Both of them played really well for us,” said Slippery Rock coach Dan Hindman. “They play year-round and that's been a big benefit to them. We had a few other players who were worthy of being recognized. To be selected to this team, it's a great honor.”
McCall played on the varsity team as a freshman and sophomore, but stayed off the diamond as a junior.
“I wasn't sure what sport I wanted to play in college,” she said. “I focused just on track and field in the spring of my junior year to see what attention I could get there.”
McCall soon realized, however, that it was softball that she wanted to play at the next level.
“I did play for a travel team the summer after my junior year, the Ohio Outlaws,” she said. “I worked really hard at improving my game and had a hitting coach.”
The effort paid off this spring as McCall batted .500 with 14 extra-base hits, including five home runs. She scored 22 runs and drove in 17 from the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
“I was excited to see my bat come alive because I was not very consistent in the past,” she said.
As good as her offensive output was, McCall's defensive play proved just as valuable to the Rockets.
“She was solid as a rock at third base,” Coach Hindman said. “She was very strong when it came to the mental aspect of the game and it allowed us to get to another level. We were able to concentrate on getting outs at second base when teams put down a bunt. And we were able to swing our defense in certain situations to take some pressure off of other girls.”
McCall will attend Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, on scholarship.
Cheyenne Hindman became a starting pitcher for the Rockets during her freshman year and proved solid through three seasons. This year, however, she took her game to another level with a 13-3 record, a 1.68 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 100 innings.
“She had a lot of confidence this year in throwing certain pitches in certain zones,” Dan Hindman said. “She started to believe in all of her pitches and attacked different parts of the hitting zone.”
“I wasn't afraid to pitch inside, hitting that inside corner for a strike,” Cheyenne said. “That's something I struggled with the last few years.”
Always a solid contributor on offense, Cheyenne Hindman led the Rockets this spring with a .515 average as the team's leadoff hitter.
She had planned to attend Eastern Michigan on an athletic scholarship, but the university dropped its softball program. Now she will head to Mercyhurst North East with the hope of attracting attention from other schools and earning another scholarship.
“I will pitch there, but I also am willing to play other positions,” she said. “Whatever it takes to get schools to notice me, that's what I'll do.”
