Ligonier Valley grad Piper establishes herself as top pitcher as freshman at Westminster

Cheyenne Piper stands out among her teammates in the Westminster softball team photo: She is the only one wearing glasses.

But the Ligonier Valley grad insists her spectacles aren’t any kind of fashion statement, they aren’t her “trademark” or connected to any superstition. She simply can’t wear contact lenses.

Piper stands out for more important reasons, and she has left opponents seeing red.

Only a freshman, Piper already has established herself among the top pitchers in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Entering the week, Piper was 12-4 with a 1.94 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 90 innings.

Opponents are hitting a paltry .193 against her, and she has been named the PAC Pitcher of the Week twice. Piper’s pitching has helped the Titans to an 11-5 record in the PAC (22-10 overall) and place them squarely in the championship conversation.

“I felt like I could show (coach Jan Reddinger) my best and let her decide,” said Piper regarding her expectations for the season. “I didn’t expect to, like, walk on as a starter or anything.”

Reddinger, in her 30th season at Westminster, said she knew Piper’s capability but has been surprised by how quickly she has been able to excel. Piper’s skill set was obvious, but what Reddinger said sets her apart is her composure on the mound.

“There’s such confidence in her,” Reddinger said, “and if something goes wrong, no one is more mad at themselves than her. There’s no blaming the pitch call or the umpire. If she makes a mistake on a pitch, you can see it. She owns up to it right away.

“That’s a mature sign for someone who is only a freshman.”

Piper wasn’t an instant success. After throwing one scoreless inning in her college debut, she gave up five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings in a 12-2 loss to Gettysburg. In her first two PAC outings, she gave up 10 earned runs over 14 innings against Hiram and Geneva.

Since then, she has been brilliant. Over her next 55 2/3 innings — which included 30 straight scoreless innings — she gave up 10 earned runs. Included in that stretch were three double-digit strikeout games, highlighted by a personal-best 13 in a three-hit, six-inning shutout of Saint Vincent.

She has done it with a three-pitch arsenal — curveball, screwball and riseball — all of which, Reddinger said, Piper can throw with speed.

“Her movement on the ball … when it’s on, it’s on,” the coach said. “And then you combine that with some speed, which she has, that’s the effectiveness of it. There’s a lot of pitchers who have those pitches, but she throws them with speed as well.”

Almost as impressive is her total walks: only 17. Piper attributes that to confidence in her defense, saying she isn’t afraid to attack the strike zone knowing her fielders will make plays.

The Titans lead the PAC in fielding percentage (.967).

“They’re incredible,” Piper said. “They talk through every play. … Everyone knows exactly what they should be doing. It gives me confidence as a pitcher, too, that I have a solid field behind me.

“They key to my success is absolutely my team. The motivation from my team keeps me going.”

Piper is only beginning to tap into her potential as a college pitcher. Reddinger doesn’t hesitate to use the “sky’s the limit” label when talking about Piper’s future.

For her part, Piper just wants to stay the course and continue to stand out.

“I have not thought of any goals,” she said, “except to keep up with where I’m at right now and keep pushing.”