Schulz slides into University of Chicago

“Last spring I had decided that, to make my transition to not playing softball in college easier and to focus more on my academics, I would quit softball this year/summer for good, despite my coaches and family telling me to stick with it,” Carly Schulz, senior, said.

Schulz thought she was done with softball.

For good.

But something inside her, a flame that used to be stagnant and dim, was ignited again.

“I changed my mind at the last possible moment because I loved the team and the coaches too much to quit,” Schulz said.  Schulz, a highly versatile catcher, will be attending the University of Chicago next year with a merit scholarship.

“When I visited UChicago and met some of the players, I just fell in love with the school. In retrospect, everything really fell into place perfectly for me by doing what I loved most at the highest level possible, and I couldn’t be happier with it all,” Schulz said.

The same can be said about her future head coach, Ruth Kmak.  “We asked her to visit and apply to Chicago, and were thrilled that she was admitted and has chosen to attend.  As a staff, we are quite excited about what she will bring to our program both on and off the field.  We are looking forward to her competing as a Chicago Maroon for the next four years,” Coach Kmak said.

UChicago’s first encounter with Schulz was at a softball tournament in Elgin, Illinois.  Coach Kmak was busy paging through her “recruiting” booklet and noticed Schulz listed. Kmak found where Schulz was playing and started watching.

“When watching a recruit in whom I am interested, I look for a solid softball foundation – someone who has a firm grasp of the fundamentals of the game, the mechanics, the basics of hitting, fielding and throwing.  Carly has quality softball fundamentals.  Next, I look for “the intangibles.”  I want someone who is positive with her teammates, communicates with her teammates on the field and in the dugout, has good rapport with her coaches, is visibly competitive and has a desire to succeed and has a presence on the field.  These qualities are what impressed me most about Carly when I saw her play,” Coach Kmak said.

Schulz was playing for BATS (Building Athletes Toward Success) Academy Fastpitch at that time which has had a huge impact and influence on her current eight year softball career.

“Since my sophomore year, I’ve played on BATS alongside players from all over Wisconsin. Being on this team has given me the opportunity to play in showcase tournaments in front of countless college coaches around the country, and it’s one of the only organizations in Wisconsin that can provide such exposure,” Schulz said.

Playing for BATS academy since sophomore year began to prove dividends for Schulz as after that showcase event, the ball began rolling. Schulz was contacted by a member of the University of Chicago’s staff and eventually received a call from the head coach herself, Coach Kmak.

Not only was Schulz’s on-field prowess an eye-catcher for the head coach, but also Schulz’s dedication to her of the diamond success.

Schulz’s demeanor matched UChicago’s approach perfectly, because unlike other sports and colleges, softball at University of Chicago has a different approach to recruiting. According to Coach Kmak, UChicago primarily looks for student-athletes who will “be a solid fit academically and who will embrace the rigors and challenges of a UChicago education.”

“She is dedicated to being successful in the classroom, on the field, as a musician, and in many different activities/organizations to which she belongs.  I found her connections to the GEMS (Girls Exploring Math and Science) program specifically quite interesting.  Her ability to balance so many things, all of them at the level of excellence, is beyond exemplary,” Coach Kmak said.

Accountability.

That is something Schulz has proven to her teammates around her, coaches, peers, as well as her fellow musicians and GEMS members.

That was also the first word that came to Homestead’s head softball coach Dave Keel’s mind when he thought of Schulz.

“Carly is masterful at holding herself and her teammates accountable.  This, of course, starts with Carly. She is her biggest critic when it comes to improvement — academically, athletically, or musically. This is a huge reason why she excels in all three fields. She is first and foremost a very special person with outstanding gifts in a variety of areas.  I absolutely love coaching her,” Coach Keel said.

Not only will Schulz be a force to be reckoned with on the diamond for the upcoming four plus years but what she does off the field should be quite as, possibly even more impressive, as she has built a solid foundation for her to work off of when she swaps in her Highlander red for some Chicago maroon.