Schumann pitches, bats Downingtown East to unprecedented success

LIONVILLE >> The banners hanging in Bob Boyer gymnasium at Downingtown East High School tell a tale of a lot of success for the athletic programs, with just about every sport boasting various titles over the years since the split.
One sport, though, was conspicuously empty. The softball banner hung without a single championship team honored, something that didn’t sit well with this year’s softball team, who set out to change that.
The 2023 Cougars went to work, and by season’s end, they ended Downingtown West’s stranglehold on the Ches-Mont League National Division title, in no small part, due to the efforts of Rachael Schumann, who was one of the county’s top hitters, in addition to putting together one of the most dominant pitching seasons in the state.
For those reasons and more, Schumann is the Daily Local News Softball All-Area Player of the Year.
“Rachael is a true example of where hard work will get you,” said East coach Peg O’Dwyer. “She sets goals for herself and puts in the work to achieve those goals. This past year, she has also put a lot of focus into her batting which has led her to become one of the top offensive players also. She is without a doubt the full package.“
With the bat in her hand, Schumann delivered with a .530 batting average, with 35 hits, half of which went for extra bases, including 13 doubles. Schumann scored 10 runs, knocking in 22.
“I just love the game — every part of it,” said Schumann. “While pitching is my passion, hitting is just so much fun. Softball is a team sport and every position contributes to the team’s success. A complete player helps offensively and defensively. I want to help in any way that I can and doing both really allowed me to do just that.”
Schumann was nearly unhittable in the circle for the Cougars. Over the course of the regular season, Schumann posted a record of 17-2 — including four no-hitters — with a microscopic 0.78 earned run average. Opposing batters hit a meager .135 against the hard-throwing righty, and she struck out 219 hitters in 116 innings of work.
Schumann turned it up a notch when it was needed the most. The ace opened the District 1 Class 6A tournament with back-to-back no-hitters in an 1-0 win over Council Rock South and an eight-inning, 1-0 triumph over third-seeded Garnet Valley to secure a spot in the PIAA tournament.
After closing out districts with a shutout over Plymouth Whitemarsh in the third-place game, Schumann unfurled a gem in the Cougars’ state opener against Central Dauphin. Schumann shut down the Rams, allowing just two hits, striking out 13 and not walking a batter. “Rachael allowed only two hits against Hempfield Area in state quarterfinals (a 2-0 loss),” said O’Dwyer. “Hempfield went on to advance to the championship game against North Penn and only lost 1-0.”
Schumann caught the softball bug early, thanks in no small part to her father, Robert Schumann, a big baseball fan.
“I started playing softball when I was in second grade for one of the LYA (Lionville Youth Association) Rec teams,” said Schumann. “But it all really started when I played Tee Ball at the YMCA when I was around five-years-old. My dad was always a huge fan of baseball and we would spend a lot of time watching MLB games together. “
Her father was an outsized influence on his daughter’s athletic endeavors.
“My dad probably had the biggest influence on my athletics. We would always watch Phillies or Yankees games together on TV. I could listen to my dad talk about the game and random players for hours, and I always did. His love for baseball started my love for softball. He got pretty lucky.”
Schumann dabbled in all kinds of other sports, from soccer and field hockey to gymnastics, but she discovered pretty early on that softball was her thing.
“I simply found that softball, particularly pitching, required the most mental game, and I absolutely loved that, said Schumann. “After middle school, softball was the only thing I really focused on.”
Though Schumann has played, and can play, any position on the field beside catcher, pitching became her passion pretty much from the moment she first toed the rubber.
“When you’re that little no one is really all that good,” said Schumann. “I remember one day just wanting to try it out like everyone else. As a kid, I was always super curious. I remember being in the circle and no one expecting anything from me. That’s when, after I threw two balls, I threw my first strike, and probably the team’s first strike. I vividly remember that everyone, including myself, was shocked. I guess I kind of liked the drama of it all.”
Within a couple years, she was seeking private lessons in an effort to hone her burgeoning skills.
“I started getting advanced lessons when I was 12 with my current pitching coach, Jen Mineau from Blackcat Fastpitch,” said Schumann. “She truly introduced me to high-level pitching. She has pushed me to be the best version of myself in all aspects of life, not just softball.”
While Schumann certainly has all the physical skills necessary to excel in the circle, she feels her biggest strength as a pitcher resides between the ears.
“Anyone can throw a ball hard if they work hard enough, but what puts you at the next level is playing a ‘chess game’ with the batters,” said Schumann. “This year, I called my own game. Last year, I had senior catcher Nicki Sudall help me call. This year it was my chance to share my knowledge.”
Enter sophomore catcher Lily Waterer.
“I worked with my Lily to figure out various sequences and what works for the particular team or batter we were facing,” said Schumann. “She learned so fast! Together, we saw a ton of success. The next important thing is confidence, which is something I used to struggle with, but this year it really clicked. There needs to be a fire in your eyes. No one can put it there but you.”
The end result was a great season for the Cougars, culminating in a program-first league championship, and a state playoff berth.
“Winning the Ches-Mont Title was huge for us,” said Schumann. “We saw our empty banner in the gym fill with a league Title. After our final, clinching win against Avon Grove, I definitely shed a few happy tears.”
But with much of the Cougars’ lineup back next season, Schumann believes the story has just begun, and the sky’s the limit.
“This was our program’s first time going this far into playoffs and we essentially have the same team next year,” said Schumann. “I hope this will allow our confidence in ourselves and each other to grow and develop into these big-stage games. We have a good shot at districts and states. I know that this team wants more titles, and we’re coming for them.”