Softball: Huntley’s hitting machine Ryan brings her best against elite pitching

The key to hitting .500 against a steady stream of smoke coming from opposing softball pitchers?

“100 percent of it is mental,” Huntley senior first baseman Meghan Ryan said. “Everything is in the head. The pitch selection is key when we face teams like that. We played some of the best of the best and facing that type of pitching gives you confidence against any team you play. You have to go up there with confidence, otherwise you will not perform.”

And perform Ryan did this season, hitting .500 against a force-fed diet of elite pitching — a commonality for Huntley coach Mark Petryniec-produced season schedules.

“We play a very tough schedule against very tough pitchers,” he said. “Most of these pitchers are Division I-bound or will be when they are eligible.”

Ryan, the captain of the 2024 Daily Herald Fox Valley All-Area softball team, had 67 hits in 134 at-bats, including 18 doubles, a triple and 9 home runs to go with 56 RBI, 43 runs scored and an .851 slugging percentage.

Ryan liked to swing the stick, walking only 10 times in 148 plate appearances and also enjoyed putting the ball in play as evidenced by her scant 10 strikeouts in those 148 tries. She helped Huntley finish 30-10, win the Fox Valley Conference and advance to a Class 4A supersectional, narrowly missing a second state finals trip in four years in a tough 1-run loss to Mundelein.

And continuing on the subject, Petryniec ticked off a murder’s row of opposing pitchers Ryan faced throughout the Chicagoland area with radar gun readings of 68, 67, 65, 64 and 63 miles per hour.

“Her stats are legit,” he said.

Ryan’s approach to hitting also qualifies as legit.

“My biggest improvement this season was picking the pitches I want to hit,” she said. “I had much better pitch selection. I zone in when the ball is released out of the hand. We focused on making good contact and picking which side of the plate you want to hit and then light it up with a good approach.”

Ryan said there were times she did not want to be clued into the opposing pitcher’s speed.

“I’ve hit those speeds before,” she said. “I know I have the mechanics. I have been playing the game since I was 10. You have to trust your mechanics to catch up with the speed and pick out your pitch and not get in your own head. I had confidence going up there and it worked for me.”

Huntley senior infielder-outfielder Christina Smith said Ryan’s status as an elite hitter does indeed come from her mindset and ability to move on and learn from previous at-bats.

“If Meghan ever did have a bad at-bat, rather than dwell on it, she would learn from it and come into the box with a clear head and ready to start over,” she said. “Many players struggle with their mindset and mental approach at the plate. I can confidently say Meghan is not one of those players.”

Petryniec added: “Meg put in a lot of work in the off-season to improve and it has translated on the field. We faced a lot of top-tier pitchers and Meg rose to the challenge. She worked on her offensive approach and had the right mindset in the batter’s box. She adjusted to specific counts and adapted to give her the best chance at success at the plate.”

Ryan also was not chopped liver at first base where she made 1 error in 224 total chances (.996 fielding percentage). She joked six years of gymnastics served her well when she had to do the splits at first.

“I have been playing this position since I was 10,” said Ryan, who noted she did not use a first baseman’s mitt. “Everyone might not think it’s a tough position, but I definitely took leadership in where I played and picking up my teammates and being a leader on the field.”

With accolades such as being named to the Illinois Softball Coaches Association Class 4A all-state first team this season, one would think Ryan is chomping at the bit to play at the next level.

She’s not. This recently completed Huntley High School season was her swan song to the sport. She’s walking away with no regrets.

“I’m done permanently,” she said. “I am very focused on academics. Softball can be the most amazing part of life, but it can also be a very stressful time. I want to go to college and focus on academics and take a step back from softball. It has to be over at some point and it was getting to be too much in my life. I love the sport and played it forever, but it’s time for my mental health to take priority and focus on what I want to focus on.”

Ryan, headed to McHenry County College to figure out what she wants to major in after a dalliance with the medical field during her time at Huntley, has wasted no time jumping into life after softball.

“I already have my gym membership rolling back again, I have a job (Kona Ice truck) and a family vacation planned,” said Ryan, who had above a 4.0 grade-point average (never had a B, she pointed out) and was one of a select few students to earn a summa cum laude honor at graduation. “I plan on relaxing at home, spending time with family and friends and see how it goes and see where it all takes me.”

Huntley junior outfielder Ajai Bonner saw a different side of Ryan the last few seasons that did not have anything to do with batting averages or amazing plays in the field.

“Meg was an amazing teammate,” she said. “Starting my freshman year, she welcomed me and was someone I could always go to when I needed her. Our team called her mom because she kept us focused when we needed it, but ultimately she showed us so much love. She included all of us and helped us all play for each other.”

Ryan has a different take on her four memorable years at Huntley that saw the Red Raiders go 123-32, win two sectional titles and finish third in the state in 2021.

“I put in the time,” she said. “Freshman year I didn’t make varsity right away, but made the most of the opportunity.”

Ryan was brought up freshman year to take over for an injured catcher, handling the high-pressure like a veteran, Petryniec noted.

“It isn’t always the people hitting the home runs that are the most valuable. On our team this year it might seem like I was one of the big dogs, but it took me a while to get there. I want to be known as someone who put in the time, worked hard and seized the opportunity they were given.”