Atwater softball ace continues to shine

Cheyenne Mahy loves being the center of attention. That’s why the soon-to-be Atwater High School junior wanted to be a pitcher growing up.

Mahy loves that all eyes are on her when she’s in the circle. She feeds off the adrenaline and the pressure that goes with it.

“Cheyenne is a go-getter,” Atwater coach Robert Santistevan said. “She wants to be in the middle of it. She doesn’t want to be sitting in the outfield waiting for her turn to hit. I’m surprised she doesn’t want to catch, too. She’s that type of player. She’s ready for every pitch.”

Mahy will be part of the Central California Conference all-stars Wednesday night in the inaugural Paul Leonardo Memorial WAC vs. CCC All-Star Game at Livingston High. The game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

All-conference selections from the Western Athletic Conference will square off against all-CCC picks.

Mahy was a first-team selection in the CCC after compiling an 8-6 record with a 0.74 ERA. She struck out 137 hitters in 1032/3 innings to help the Falcons (15-12) reach the Sac-Joaquin Section Divison II playoffs.

“I’m very excited to play in this game,” Mahy said. “We get to play with all the top girls on the other teams. It’s a chance to get to know them, and it’s going to be fun to play with them.”

Mahy has established herself as one of the top pitchers in the area at a young age. She was 8-5 with a 1.74 ERA as a freshman.

She was even more dominant this season. Mahy allowed one earned run in 13 innings in two starts against Merced that the Bears won 1-0 and 2-0.

Mahy struck out 18 in 10 innings in a 4-2 win over Turlock. She also threw two one-hitters, including a 1-0 win over Pitman.

“Cheyenne was our main pitcher, and she kept us in every game she pitched,” Santistevan said. “She was outstanding.”

Mahy has a fastball that tops out at about 60 mph and a full repertoire of offspeed pitches. She has the ability to keep hitters off balance and blow them away if needed.

Mahy is spending her summer playing for the California Grapettes, a competitive travel team based in Stockton. Last, weekend Mahy and the Grapettes were in Hemet playing in a tournament.

Her ultimate goal is to continue playing softball in college.

“I love watching all the games on TV,” Mahy said. “They look like they’re having so much fun. I play softball all the time. Getting a scholarship, to get to say I do something I love, would be amazing.”

When Mahy is pitching, whether it’s for Atwater or the Grapettes, she tries to pitch as if a college coach is watching. Her focus this summer is to continue improving her spin and velocity.

Santistevan believes Mahy is good enough to pitch for some college teams now.

“She’s pretty close to that level, in my opinion,” Santistevan said. “She just needs to stay on the right track. I know she’ll keep improving each year because she just loves the game.”

This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Atwater softball ace continues to shine."