Wilhelm enjoys instant rookie success
Secaucus’s fabulous freshman makes sudden impact on Pats
Kristin Wilhelm didn’t know what to expect when she first tried out for the softball team at Secaucus High School this spring.
"I played on some softball teams with girls that were in high school when I was in seventh grade," said Wilhelm, a freshman at the school. "So I knew I could handle it. But I knew high school was a lot harder and I knew it was going to take some time. I didn’t even know if I would be on the varsity."
Linda Coar took over the Secaucus softball program this spring. Coar had heard positive things about Wilhelm’s potential as both a pitcher and at the plate.
"I was told by some people that she was pretty good," Coar said. "I heard she had an unorthodox style of pitching, but that’s not what I saw when I saw her. She was amazing from the beginning. Her fastball was right on target."
It didn’t take long for the coach to realize that she had a new pitcher.
However, the pitcher didn’t exactly set the world on fire from the beginning. Wilhelm lost her first two games and had only three hits in her first 11 plate appearances.
"I thought she pitched pretty well, losing 3-1 to Holy Family and 1-0 to Kearny, two very good teams," Coar said. "It’s hard for a freshman to break in on the varsity level. I think the other girls on the team made Kristin feel comfortable."
"I had a little trouble hitting in the beginning, but I just had to keep trying to do my best," Wilhelm said. "Being one of the starters right away, I wanted to make sure I did well. Since I knew most of the players on the team from basketball, they were all very friendly to me from the beginning. I figured if I just played my hardest then everyone would know my ability."
Needless to say, Secaucus’s opponents have just begun to see how truly talented Wilhelm is.
Wilhelm has won six straight games on the mound, which included a streak of three consecutive shutouts and two no-hitters. She has struck out an amazing 68 batters while walking just 19 and surrendering just 25 hits. She had a 15-strikeout performance against Lyndhurst and a 14-strikeout effort against Weehawken.
And at the plate, Wilhelm has been equally as dazzling. She has collected 14 hits in her last 17 at-bats, pushing her batting average to .559 with one homer and 10 RBI.
"It’s absolutely phenomenal what she’s done," Coar said. "It’s amazing to think she’s still a freshman."
"I never thought I would be able to do this well," Wilhelm said. "I really am surprised."
For her efforts, Wilhelm has been named as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week – and the only freshman to receive the honor in the 2000-2001 scholastic calendar season.
Wilhelm has been playing softball since she was in fifth grade and has taken the sport very seriously, even taking private pitching lessons from respected pitching coach Frank Baldino of Lodi.
Before the season began, Baldino worked on several pitches with Wilhelm, including teaching her two different kinds of drop curveballs and a change-up. But there was another aspect to pitching that Wilhelm diligently worked on.
"I worked on my focus, every time I go to the mound," Wilhelm said. "It’s mental work more than anything. I have to focus on everything and pretend like it’s practice every time I take the mound in a game. I think that has gone a long way to help me. I probably wouldn’t be anywhere if he didn’t help me."
Coar knows that Wilhelm’s impressive rookie campaign is just the beginning.
"Kristin has so much potential," Coar said. "To see someone do this well as a freshman can only make you think that she can do so well in the future. She definitely puts in a lot of time and works hard. I think she has a little ways to go, but that will all come with hard work. I never dreamed she would be this good this soon. I don’t remember ever having a freshman do this well right away."
There is another side to Kristin Wilhelm – and it’s that she bears a striking resemblance to actress Drew Barrymore.
"I’ve been told that a lot," Wilhelm said of the remarkable resemblance. "It doesn’t bother me at all. My parents believe that I definitely look like her, but my friends don’t think so. I don’t know. I guess I do."
But there’s no question that the actress who fell in love with "The Wedding Singer," and had "Never Been Kissed," also doesn’t have a variety of pitches and two no-hitters like Kristin Wilhelm.
"I guess I’ve done pretty well," Wilhelm said. "I didn’t realize I had all those strikeouts. I get mad at myself when I have too many walks. I just have to keep working."
And winning.