Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Cassie Wiggins left the mound to congratulate her opponent during one game this past summer.

Up until that point, Wiggins had pitched dominantly for the USSSA Pride, her summer ball team. Yet, after watching a batter square up her pitch, Wiggins was content.

“That’s just the type of person she is,” said Kim, Wiggins’ mother. “She will give credit where credit’s due.”

Currently a starting pitcher for the Liverpool High School softball team, Wiggins started playing tee ball when she was 6 years old, said her father, Chad. As a junior last season, she posted more strikeouts than innings pitched, punching out 151 batters through 133 innings. She doubled her 2020-2021 season numbers of 82 strikeouts through 62.1 innings pitched. Wiggins only surrendered 28 earned runs, giving her a 1.47 ERA for the 2021-2022 season. After her senior campaign, Wiggins plans to attend Union College.

“She’s just a fierce competitor,” Chad said. “I love watching her play, especially when she gets excited out there. When she gets into a game, I mean, she’s into it.”.

Liverpool head coach Phil Deaugustine praised Wiggins’ stellar work ethic and mindset, which she instilled in the rest of the team. Deaugustine said that he’s never worried about when or if Wiggins will show up, noting that she’s always hustling.

On the field, Wiggins maintains a level head and keeps her emotions in check — qualities that, according to her teammates, are critical to a softball player’s success. Her in-game mannerisms help calm the entire squad down at times.

Stephanie Zaso | Digital Design Director

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cassie show any emotion on the mound,” Liverpool shortstop Lauren Ragonese said.

Ragonese added that, no matter the score, opposing players couldn’t see a hint of emotion from Wiggins’ face or body language.

“You can’t tell if she’s angry, sad, or scared,” Ragonese said. “She is too busy making the hitters scared instead.” But in the dugout, given a brief break from the action, Ragonese said Wiggins is always smiling.

Deaugustine believes Wiggins’ presence goes further than her ability to strike opposing batters out. She’s equipped with a special ability of controlling her pitches.

“When we say pitching, it doesn’t always mean she strikes everybody out,” Deaugustine said. “Since she can hit her spots consistently, we can get a ground ball that turns into a double play or we can get a pop-up that is an easy out.”

Her catcher, Joelle Wike, said that she never has to worry about Wiggins missing her spots. And when she does, Wike says all it takes is one quick timeout before “she’s good again.” When Wiggins gets into her pitching motion, she advances toward home plate by about 10 feet, Deaugustine said.

In her junior year, Wiggins showcased her ability to play both sides of the ball, with seven multi-hit games and a .373 average for Liverpool.

Deaugustine also stressed Wiggins’ talents with the glove and her ability to defend any ball that comes her way.

“When the ball comes off the bat fast, you got to have a kid who can react and field quickly,” Deaugustine said. “She does very well with that.”

In the state sectional game against Baldwinsville last year, Wiggins posted 10 strikeouts and the walk-off hit in extra innings to propel the Warriors to a 4-3 win. Later, during the state championship game, Wiggins started the game with a leadoff home run over the center field wall for the Warriors.

Off of the field, Wiggins takes time to help her teammates better understand the ins and outs of the game.

“She made me better at understanding how pitchers work,” said childhood teammate Sara Brefka. “She made me a better catcher because of it.”

Brefka described Wiggins as the glue that holds everyone together. “Her personality and everything about her makes our team stronger,” Brefka said.

Wiggins also finds time to help out with a local 12U team because she likes to teach. She said the young players love it when she comes to practice. Sometimes, when the kids attend Wiggins’ games, they leave inspired, Brefka said.

Wiggins is about to begin her senior season, and the goal is to return to the state championship and win this time, sporting the same mellow manner that she always has.

“This year our main goal is we want to win states, we want revenge for what we lost last year, and we think we can go all the way,” catcher Joelle Wike said.

Published on March 27, 2023 at 11:31 pm

ajgitto@syr.edu