Goeke fitting right in at Hun
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
As the newest starter in a big spot, Alexis Goeke, hasn’t had any trouble fitting onto the Hun School softball team.
With a group of veterans back, the freshman pitcher has been a welcome addition to the Raiders.
”It’s really not tough because it’s a great group of girls,” Goeke said. “We all get along, and it’s really easy to fit in. The upperclassmen, they’re like a second family. The whole team supports me when I’m pitching. They all support each other. There is no difference in grades.”
Goeke has played like one of the veterans in her first year at Hun. She has been even better than anyone anticipated, so good that the Raiders have used her exclusively in the circle.
”I knew myself, Peddie, Lawrenceville and Blair got freshmen pitchers,” said Hun head coach Kathy Quirk. “I knew of her. Her brother (Austin) goes to Hun. I knew she was a good pitcher. She was playing 16U as a 14-year-old. I didn’t know she’d be as effective as she’s been. We’ve had her pitch every game because we feel that Dani Beal is more important to us at third base.”
Goeke has given the Raiders strong starts each time she has gone out. She gave up four runs in the first inning, but shut out Lawrenceville the rest of the way while the offense came to life in a 15-4 win last Monday. Goeke scattered seven hits and struck out six as Hun won, 5-3, over highly touted Steinert. All three runs she allowed were unearned.
”Carey opened up the game with her 2-run home run in the fourth inning,” Quirk said. “They threw her a pitch that she took over the center field fence that really helped us. On defense, we did a nice job and we were able to contain their hitters. No one hit the long ball. A couple years ago, we went there and they had two or three home runs against us. We played a great defensive game.”
Two days later, Goeke was back at it, striking out nine and firing a one-hitter in a 10-0 win over Hopewell Valley in five innings. Goeke got her bat going last Saturday with a pair of home runs while driving in five runs in an 18-2 win that helped the Raiders sweep Mid-Atlantic Prep League opponent Mercersburg. In their 9-1 win over Mercersburg, Goeke struck out nine.
”It was really big and it was really exciting,” Goeke said. “I like playing the best teams and our rivals. They’re the best games. The closer ones are the best. I’m glad we had good success against all the teams.”
Alexis Goeke is the HiTOPS/Princeton Packet Athlete of the Week.
”Her ability to move the ball helps her,” Quirk said. “She and (catcher) Carey Million are working well together. She works hard in practice. She’s got some confidence in her. She’s poised on the mound. When we tell her she has to slow down, she takes a deep breathe and listens to us.
”She’s lucky she has a seasoned catcher. Carey keeps her under control. Carey, she calls all our pitches. When they do warm-ups, she knows what’s working and what isn’t.”
There has been a lot working for Goeke, who hasn’t been a pitcher that long. She took it up three years ago.
”I used to be a catcher,” said Goeke, a Bordentown resident. “I love having leadership positions in the game. When I turned over to be a pitcher, I just knew I had to catch up with everyone else. Pitching two times a week all winter and all season long helped me advance to the next level.”
Goeke poured her energy into developing her six pitches. Goeke has good speed, but isn’t the type of pitcher to just overpower hitters.
”She has very good control,” Quirk said. “The movement of the ball in and out has really helped her. She progresses each game, just with her confidence.”
Even before the season started, Goeke began taking steps to ensure that she could contribute to the program.
”Me and Carey were close friends from the beginning of the school year,” Goeke said. “I know she’s a very talented catcher. We work well together. I adapted well with her. She started coming to pitching lessons so I knew it would work out well. We work well as a team to try to go after each batter.”
Million isn’t the only one that gives Goeke confidence. It has helped that Goeke is part of a team that returned plenty of experience from a year ago. Hun graduated just one senior from last year’s team, and Goeke has been able to give them a lift.
”At the start of the season, I’m a freshman and pitching against older girls, so I knew it was going to be a bigger challenge,” Goeke said. “That’s how you get better and move forward — playing better competition. You can learn from the ones that don’t turn out well and benefit from the ones that do.
”I knew we had a great group of girls and really good talented group,” she added. “It was whether we were going to be able to come together and play as a team. I’m surprised at how good we did, but I knew we’d have a great season.”
Before this year, Goeke had pitched up a level with her 14U New Jersey Outlaws travel team that plays 18U showcase tournaments, but the high school season has brought a steady diet of older players while fitting into a new program.
”Coming into a new school is really different for me,” Goeke said. “I really didn’t know what to expect. Coming onto a new team, I didn’t really have expectations, not knowing what I was getting myself into. Once we started, I knew it was going to be a great one.”
Goeke has continued to develop as a pitcher. She learns something with each game and is striving to ensure she is even tougher for the end of the season.
”Back in 10U, you could throw fastballs down the middle and they worked,” Goeke said. “I knew stepping into the circle at the high school level, it definitely wouldn’t work. I knew I needed more pitches to make it work.
”I had a couple worries, but not many,” she said. “I knew having a really good defense behind me would make up for those hits that would go through and I knew I just had to limit hits and I had a really good defense behind me so not to worry.”
Halfway through her first year, Goeke is well in touch with it takes to win at the high school level. She is getting more comfortable with pitching and hitting successfully.
”The pitching has picked up and the intensity of the games has,” she said. “I need to put forth my effort at both in order to succeed.”
Alexis Goeke has helped Hun to a 9-2 start, with one a pair of one-run losses to Peddie keeping them from being perfect. Goeke has played above expectations, in a start that is promising for her career and for the Raiders season.
”I definitely think we’ve played up to our full potential in some games,” Goeke said. “It comes down to who makes the most amount of errors, but we win and lose as a team. We’ve all played up to our potential and had a really good start to our season so far.”