RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Photo courtesy Highlight Reel Photography
When Hunter Lewis entered the circle to pitch for Loyola Academy on March 11, she was late. About a year late.
Lewis was slated to begin her high school career for the Ramblers in the spring of 2023, but an injury sidelined her causing her to miss the entire season.
And when she started the first game of the season for Loyola Academy against Glenbrook South, she pitched like she was attempting to make up for lost time.
Her pitching performance versus Glenbrook South kickstarted one of the more remarkable beginnings to a high school career as she pitched back-to-back no-hitters.
Her debut in a Loyola Academy uniform included a mix of excitement and nervousness.
“It was a little bit of a mixture of nerves, but for the most part, I was really excited because I missed all of last season because I was out with an injury. And these first couple of games were my first-ever high school games. So, mostly I was just excited to see the work that I put in and just get to play in a high school game.”
Dominant from the start against Glenbrook South, Lewis relied on her teammates.
“Most of it was just trusting that my catcher, Emilia Bartholomew, knows the pitches she’s calling, and my defense is here if I need them. It wasn’t ever I’m going to try to throw a no hitter. I’m just doing what I do, and what I know how to do, and what I work on all the time. With just trusting my defense and trusting that my catchers have my back.”
While Lewis was sailing along, the Loyola Academy offense was also being held in check.
But a close game just motivates Lewis even more.
“I think it makes me more competitive. I’m a very competitive person in general, but when I know it’s a close game, I know that if anyone gets on base there’s a chance of them scoring and that’s not going to happen. It makes me more competitive and more focused on doing the job right and shutting everything down.”
Which is exactly what Lewis did as she finished off her no-hitter with 14 strikeouts utilizing a mix of rise balls and curve balls and the Ramblers earned a 1-0 victory.
“It was just very exciting just to win the first game of a season in general, it’s always a good feeling. And then going out there and feeling like I did the best I could, and I put out my best performance, it was just really exciting.”
The second game of the season for Loyola Academy came on March 15 against Evanston Township.
Despite throwing a no-hitter in the opening game, Lewis remained focused on trusting the work that brought her to this point.
“My approach for the second game was more of the same. I talked with my catcher pregame about what pitches were working and how to call the game. I went into the game with the same mindset of trusting my catcher, trusting my defense and just doing what I know how to do.”
And for Lewis, doing what she knows how to do resulted in another no-hitter as Loyola Academy defeated Evanston Township 3-0.
Using a similar combination of backdoor curves and the rise ball, Lewis punched out 18 batters to collect her second straight no-hitter.
“Throughout the whole game, I really wasn’t thinking about it. I didn’t even realize it until my coach told me afterwards. Because genuinely, throughout these games, I never focus on throwing a no-hitter. My mindset was hit your spots and take it batter by batter.”
Lewis has a firm grasp on understanding she isn’t on an island and that throwing a no-hitter is a result of the team behind her.
“It’s important to acknowledge my teammates because we can’t win games, obviously, just on my pitching. Everyone else has a contribution to the game. The offense has to string together hits, my catcher has to know what to call in the right moment and the defense has to make plays.
“It’s not just me out there. It’s a team sport. It takes all of us to win a game. So, I think it’s important to give credit to my teammates who are also out there working and putting in the work.”
Lewis is already drawing the attention of top college coaches from around the country having participated in camps at Texas and Florida State and having been chosen to play in the USSSA Select 30 camp.
“I think it just gives me a lot more tools that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Just learning from the best coaching staff and the best players in the country. It’s very humbling to go there and get the opportunity to learn from other people. My travel coach, who has taught me basically everything I know, always tells me to make sure you learn at least one thing that you can add to your toolbox when you attend camps and clinics.”
As for the rest of the season with Loyola Academy, Lewis is focused on improvement and performing her best.
“Well, I know we’re going to face some very good competition this season, so obviously, I’m not going to throw a no-hitter every time. But I think continuing to have these conversations with my teammates and with my catcher, just making sure we’re all on the same page and then every game just taking it pitch by pitch and batter by batter and making sure we all use the work that we put in and just do our best every time. And whatever the outcome is, that’s what it is. But just making sure I’m myself when I’m pitching and doing what I know that I can do.”
If the first two games of the season are any indication of what Lewis knows she can do, then hitters in the state of Illinois are in for a long spring.
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