SB : Roehner holds surprise role as leader of pitching staff
The Syracuse coaching staff had no clue how it was going to fill the void in its pitching staff.
Last year, Erin Downey and Brittany Gardner were projected to lead the pitching rotation. But injuries ravaged Downey’s season, leaving Gardner, a freshman, as the only starting pitcher going into the season. The impasse left the coaching staff clueless about its next move.
As a result, SU head coach Leigh Ross was forced to ask for pitching volunteers. Junior outfielder Chanel Roehner volunteered, even though she had not pitched since high school.
‘They asked if anybody else had any pitching experience since the new coach (Ross) didn’t know that I used to be a pitcher in high school,’ Roehner said. ‘So I said I used to pitch since I was 8 years old, and I could do it if you give me a chance and a lot of work. I thought of it like there was no pressure because nothing was expected of me, so it could only get better.’
Roehner has been a staple in the SU pitching staff in the year-and-a-half since and has hit her stride this season. In 18 pitching appearances, the senior has posted 2.94 ERA with nine complete games and two shutouts. But those feats would have never been possible without her momentous sacrifice during her junior year.
Roehner seeks to continue her pitching success today as the Orange travels 60 miles south to play a doubleheader against out-of-conference rival Cornell (29-7) at 3:30 p.m.
The coaches hesitantly accepted and gave Roehner double duty. Along with her hitting and fielding workouts, she now had to participate in the pitching drills.
But after a mediocre junior season, Roehner has regained the pitching command and dominance that made her a renowned recruit in high school. She has flourished against out-of-conference opponents this season, throwing 30 innings, striking out 19 en route to a 3-0 record and a 1.87 ERA in 12 games.
Cornell’s impressive record means nothing to Roehner, who feels she can compete against anyone.
‘I think I work well under pressure,’ Roehner said. ‘I always have when I pitched on my old teams. I just relax, do my best and try to throw strikes.’
After watching Roehner efficiently convert back to pitching without instituting mechanical changes, SU associate head coach Kyle Jamieson, who works closely with the pitchers, is no longer surprised by her accomplishments.
‘Well, with Chanel anything you ask her to do whether it’s hit, play outfield, if you ask her to play second base or pitch, she is just a tremendous athlete,’ Jamieson said. ‘And to be able to come in and pitch and have the pop that she has and the mechanics that she has, she is just a true athlete.’
Roehner has had to sacrifice another thing for the team – her shoulder. Throughout the past few years, she had been accustomed to throwing long, accurate balls from the outfield. Now, as a pitcher, she throws to a closer target while increasing the velocity on her pitches.
Occasionally, during games, the coaching staff has even rotated her between the pitching mound and the outfield. But Roehner’s body has not responded well to the burden.
‘Back when I was just an outfielder I would throw a couple balls long, and that was it,’ Roehner said. ‘Now, I throw long, and when you have to throw it as hard as you can home, and you just finished pitching you feel it in your back and it tears your shoulder up.’
The strenuous throwing motions have furthered the damage in Roehner’s shoulder. She battled a pulled bicep in the past, but now she developed tendonitis in her right shoulder.
‘I go to treatment every single day with Lisa, our trainer,’ Roehner said. ‘She takes care of it, but if I pitch a lot during the weekend, I won’t be able to lift my arms on Monday. My arms are huge sometimes.’
Jamieson has recognized Roehner’s sacrifices and remains convinced that her shoulder will hold up.
‘She took some lumps in the past, but she learned the whole time,’ Jamieson said. ‘She kept on getting better and better and more confident and confident. Now, she has one of the better ERAs in the Big East.’
