Going into her senior season, Stanford softball pitcher/utility Kylie Chung knew she was going to have to take on a bigger role, especially as a pitcher. So far, Chung has an 11-4 record with a 3.06 ERA, doing a great job of stepping up her game. As a hitter, she’s still doing her thing when called upon, batting .471 with three home runs, 13 RBIs, a .824 slugging percentage, and a .500 on base percentage.
It’s never easy to take on a new or bigger role, but Chung seems to have approached things with the right attitude. She loves doing whatever her team needs from her and showing that Stanford softball is about the team above all else.
“I think my role looks a lot different this season than it has in past years. I haven’t really pitched a ton, but I’m excited to contribute to the team in a different way and I’m really looking to be the best version of myself on the mound for the team,” Chung said. “I really want to show not only my team, but the world who Stanford softball is. Even though a lot of people are doubting us coming into the season and we’re here to show Stanford softball, it’s not one person, it’s an accumulation of all of us and I’m super excited for that.”
Chung really showed her growth earlier this month when she pitched 8.1 innings in a 5-4 win over Saint Mary's that went into the 10th inning. In years past, Chung would not have been able to have a performance like that, but thanks to the work she's put in, she's been able to pitch deeper into games and remain effective.
“Shout out to my strength coach,” Chung said. “Shout out to all the people, our support staff that push me. But I would just say, like, it’s probably been like four years worth of work to have that stamina. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to stay strong and push myself in the weight room and at conditioning and I think probably last year I wouldn’t have been able to do that. So just trying to push myself in the weight room and I feel like it’s an accumulation of a lot of hard work.”
What’s really helped Chung grow as a softball player is playing under head coach Jessica Allister. She feels like Allister does a marvelous job at getting the most out of her players and helping them reach their full potential.
“I think that she really juices the best version out of everyone,” Chung said of Allister. “So I feel like she really challenges you in the way that you need it and that she puts us in work mode. Like as soon as you step onto campus. I wasn’t quite prepared for hitting the ground running. But that’s kind of how we practice. It’s how we play. We just kind of are in work mode all the time. We’re putting in great reps and we’re juicing every single moment out of practice that the NCAA allows us and I think that our emphasis on hard work is how we’ve gone to where we’ve been.”
“You know, Kylie, she might even have on her glove ‘brave not perfect.’ And I think that’s kind of epitomizes what she’s done all year," Allister said of Chung. "She’s just battling her tail off out in the circle and doing whatever the team needs from her and just trying to get the next out.”
Chung also feels like her teammates have been a great source of support this season. She loves how they have encouraged her to be the best she can be as she goes about carrying more of the load in the pitching circle.
“Yeah, I would say the support of my teammates,” Chung said of what most matters to her. “My teammates mean the world to me and knowing they want the best for me and they’re always behind me cheering and like, I wanna be that person for them because I feel like I’ve been that person for so long and I kind of just wanna step into this role and be there when my team needs me.”
In addition to taking on an expanded role as a pitcher, Chung is experiencing her senior year in the football stadium while the new softball stadium is being built. While part of her wishes she could have gotten a chance to play in the new stadium, she's really enjoying her time in the football stadium and the unique experience that it offers.
“It’s awesome. I mean, when they told us we were gonna play in the football field, I was like oh no, like, I don’t get to play in the new stadium because I’m a senior,” Chung said. “But this is better than I could have ever imagined. It feels like it belongs here and I love the environment. I hope we get it packed for some of our big series’.”
To add to the changes for Chung, it’s also Stanford’s first season in the ACC. Chung has enjoyed playing in the league so far and embraced the change that has come with it. She’s enjoying the chance to play new teams and learn about a different part of the country than what she’s used to.
“It’s definitely interesting,” Chung said of playing in the ACC. “I haven’t really followed the ACC because I’ve been a Pac-12 watcher my whole life because I live on the West Coast. So it’s definitely interesting to scout these teams. I’ve never even heard of most of these people or like some of these teams I didn’t know were in the ACC, but it’s definitely cool to go to places I’ve never been before. I didn’t even know Notre Dame was in Indiana. So, interesting to learn about new schools and I’m excited that I get to be part of the first year in the ACC.”
On the academic side, Chung loves the way that Stanford has challenged her. She’s always valued her education and loves the fact that Stanford offers her a chance to be the best she can be on the field and in the classroom.
“I think I’ve always wanted to go to a really good school. I’ve always gotten pretty good grades in high school and challenged myself amongst the best students at my high school and so I felt like, you know, why not continue that?” Chung said of why she came to Stanford. “I don’t want to have it easy or like, beating the stigma that athletes are supposed to be dumber or they can’t compete in the classroom with the people who aren’t athletes and I really enjoy that aspect, actually. Like, getting to compete with people who don’t play a sport may have a little extra time to get their work done and still excelling in the classroom.
“I just think that it has challenged me in every way possible and that’s why I chose it. I wanted to be challenged in the classroom. I wanted to be challenged on the field and this place is the perfect combination of both. Because Ivy Leagues you won’t get that good of competition. There’s other schools out there that won’t give you the education and not only does this place let you compete against the best athletes in the world, but it also lets you sit alongside some of the best minds in the world and I think that it’s really awesome to be surrounded by such great people in all aspects of life and to really challenge me to be my best because I don’t think I would get that experience anywhere else.”
Overall, Kylie Chung truly seems to be making the most of her senior season at Stanford. She’s stepped up her game as a pitcher, she’s embraced the ACC, and also the opportunity to play in the football stadium. It’ll be fun to see how the rest of the season goes for her and what kind of impact she makes down the stretch.
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