Kacey Schmitt will need someone else to correct her when she goofs on the lyrics of the latest hit song.
Her high school softball players were quick to point out her mistakes in the past, but they won’t be there this time.
After 17 years coaching the Amherst Regional varsity softball team, Schmitt decided to retire.
When the spring season got underway Monday, it was Brittni Upchurch who led the Hurricanes on the first day of practice.
“It was a tough decision, but the right decision,” Schmitt said. “I think everyone is looking forward to seeing what Brittni can do.”
Schmitt had many reasons to retire. There were the personal ones — her husband Tim retired from his full-time sale job; she has her first grandchild on the way — and coaching ones — the town’s youth program has been nonexistent, leading to much time being spent on fundamentals.
Reasons aside, Schmitt said she will miss her players. (She will return for a 19th season coaching girls volleyball in the fall.)
“I’ve always enjoyed the kids, and I’m going to miss the kids,” Schmitt said. “I’m going to miss them correcting me when I’m signing the wrong lyrics. They are the ones who taught me how to use my cell phone.”
Schmitt retired with a career record of 206-154. She won three Western Massachusetts Division 1 Tournament championships.
Schmitt was the middle school softball coach when then-high school athletic director Tom Cullen asked her to coach the varsity in 1999.
The team went 8-11 during her first season.
“That was the start of trying to figure it out all,” she said. “It was a big jump from middle school to varsity.”
Much of Schmitt’s success can be attributed to dominant pitching. Over an 11-year stretch, Schmitt filled out a lineup card with either Tulsi Byrne, Abby Fuhrman or Emma Mendoker in the “1” spot.
Byrne was the starting pitcher from 2002-04. “She really got us to the point where we were competitive,” Schmitt said.
Fuhrman finished her four-year career in 2008 with 650 strikeouts. She pitched the Hurricanes to a sectional title her senior year.
That 2008 team won 21 games, the first of four straight 20-plus win seasons in Amherst.
“That was a really, really fun title,” Schmitt said. “We won that year with a total team effort, really good baserunning, good defense, timely hitting. Everyone on the team contributed to that championship.”
Amherst returned a strong group in 2009, but it ultimately fell short.
With sophomore pitcher Emma Mendoker in the circle and players like Mo Frank, Quianna Diaz-Patterson, Zoe Dillon-Davidson and sisters Heather and Jenn Mears, Amherst went 20-0.
The Hurricanes, though, were upset by Pittsfield in the first round of the sectional tournament.
“I went to bed that night thinking ‘should have had Heather bunt. Should have had Jenn …’ That was a killer.”
The success didn’t end in that first round. Amherst collected back-to-back sectional titles in 2010 and 2011. The Hurricanes were runners-up in the state in 2011, the final season with Mendoker and Diaz-Patterson.
Mendoker, who was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year as a senior, finished her career with over 1,000 strikeouts. Diaz-Patterson went on to a record-breaking career at UMass.
From 2007-2011, Amherst went a collective 103-14.
“It was a luxury” to have that pitching, Schmitt said. “And they had great kids around them.”
Schmitt had high hopes for this season’s Hurricanes.
“I think they’re going to do great this year,” Schmitt said. “I think (Brittni) will carry on the torch. I think she will find her way and do a great job.”
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com.