When Cal Poly pitcher Sierra Hyland graduated following last season, one might have thought that the Mustangs were in trouble after losing their pitching ace. Not the case, however – Lindsey Chalmers, now in her own senior season, was primed and ready to lead her team from the pitching circle.
Heading into the last week of the regular season, and possibly of her collegiate career, Chalmers holds a 19-9 record and a 2.24 ERA on the year. Tasked with leading the pitching staff and assuming the role of ace and filling Hyland’s stead, Chalmers has emerged the victor in all but five of her team’s wins in 2018.
As her Mustangs sit a single game above .500 with a three-game set against UC-Santa Barbara still to go, Chalmers could have the Mustangs in position for their second consecutive berth in the NISC postseason tournament.
Chalmers recently sat down with our Justin McLeod to talk about her career; the 1-2 punch that she formed with Hyland; her first career no-hitter earlier this season; and more…
Justin’s World of Softball: How did you get started playing softball? Did you play any other sports during your “formative” and growing-up years?
Lindsey Chalmers: I began playing softball in first grade but did not start pitching until third grade. I can specifically remember one day at practice when the coaches asked all of the girls who wanted to try pitching and I volunteered. Over the following years, I found the underhand motion to come naturally to me and that has kept me playing the position. I also grew up playing a few other sports, including gymnastics, basketball, and soccer. Going into high school, I stopped playing the other sports and focused on solely improving my softball skills to make it to the college level.
JWOS: What led you to Cal Poly and made you decide to make it your college home?
Chalmers: One of the main reasons that I chose Cal Poly is because I love the small town of San Luis Obispo and the surrounding area with all of the beaches, mountains, and outdoor activities. Cal Poly is also a really good school academically and has an exceptional business program, which is what I wanted to study. Cal Poly also had a Division I softball program that I could play for which finalized my decision to make it my college home.
JWOS: Tell me what the relationship between you and Sierra Hyland was like for the first few years of your career… how did the two of you mesh so well together?
Chalmers: Over the years, Sierra Hyland and I meshed really well together. Coming in as a freshman, she was someone that I could look up to and get help from. Side by side, we complemented each other really well on the mound.
JWOS: Coming into this season, knowing the bulk of the load was going to be on you, did you feel more pressure before this year, as the team’s leader in the circle?
Chalmers: Initially, I felt more pressure going into the year knowing that was going to be my role this season. However, I mentally prepared myself to focus on one game at a time. Focusing in on every batter and every pitch that I throw and not letting the outside pressure of how many games there are to play is what helps me to compete successfully.
JWOS: Tell me about your offseason preparation. Did your routine from the past three years differ at all this past summer, knowing what lay in store for you this season in terms of your workload?
Chalmers: My offseason preparation did differ a little bit this year compared to prior years. I focused on doing a lot of cardio exercises to help maintain my stamina and I have continued to do those throughout the season. I also spent more time lifting to get stronger and take some of the extra throwing pressure off of my arm.
JWOS: When you are in the midst of a no-hitter, such as against UC-Davis earlier this year, your first career no-no, how conscious are you of what’s going on around you and that there’s still a big goose egg on the board for the opposing team?
Chalmers: I realized I had a no-hitter going in the fourth inning. I have been in a few games earlier this year with the same realization and with the hope to complete the game without a hit, but ended up giving up a hit in one of the last few innings. This time against UC Davis, in the back of my head, I thought the same thing would happen so I let it go and forgot about the no-hitter and stayed focused on getting outs and winning the game for the team. In the top of the seventh, I still had the no-hitter going and my main focus then was to not get hesitant and to continue hitting my spots and trust my pitches and it worked out for me.
JWOS: Tell me about the experience of playing in the inaugural NISC tournament last season and getting a taste of the postseason.
Chalmers: We had a great year as a team last year, so the opportunity to go to the postseason in the NISC tournament was awesome. Getting a taste of postseason makes you realize how much hard work during season really pays off. It brought our team together and it was a fun experience to travel and play more teams across the country.
JWOS: When your career at Cal Poly is done, what do you hope is the legacy by which you are remembered in the program’s laurels?
Chalmers: I hope to be remembered as hard working, dedicated, committed to success, and open to new ideas. I also hope to be remembered as a good teammate who lightened the mood and always had fun out on the field.
JWOS: What are your career goals post-college? Are you looking to go into coaching, playing professionally somewhere, or something else?
Chalmers: My career goals post-college are to get a job somewhere in the business industry, specifically finance or marketing field. I have no plans of coaching or playing professionally anywhere, but anything is possible and those plans can always change.
Action photo (c) Alexander Bohlen/Cal Poly Athletics
