Joaquin Ram turned Blinn Buccaneer ‘owns the circle’

It took six Blinn College freshmen two and a half seasons to surpass what Chloee Mason did in her first year as a Buccaneer. By the time the Joaquin High School graduate debut campaign reached a close, her view of the softball diamond was understandable.

“I felt like the circle belonged to me,” the now sophomore right-hander said.

Mason’s territorial stance on the pitcher’s circle during the spring of 2022 was equal parts necessity, competitiveness, and labor of love. Now in her second season as a Buccaneer, the crafty right-hander from Joaquin has established herself as a selfless workhorse with a deceptive pitching arsenal made more effective by a “cando” attitude.

During Mason’s freshman campaign, injuries and a lack of depth forced the Buccaneers to turn to her for a total of 34 appearances in 51 games. Those almost three dozen stints led to a total of 166-1/3 innings pitched, 20 complete games, 12 victories, and 108 strikeouts. Dating back to the COVID-19shortened season of 2020, six other Blinn freshmen piled up 204-1/3 combined innings.

“With the situation we were in with our pitching staff, Chloee had to grow up fast last year,” Buccaneer head coach Rick Church said. “She grew from that experience; it made her tougher and better this year. It made her almost unshakeable mentally.”

Mason’s freshman season wasn’t always pretty; she finished with a 12-16 record and a 4.71 earned run average. Her workload, however, placed Mason’s development on the fast track, and the progress has become unmistakable in 2023.

“I had to invest in my self-belief,” Mason explained. “It definitely was a situation where I grew up really fast, but I found my comfort zone as time went on. The circle was mine and nobody was going to take it from me. That approach helped me to be carefree and less overwhelmed. I definitely found confidence out there.”

Through 34 games this season, Mason sits at 8-4 overall with one save – earned during a game she started. Her ERA is an impressive 2.39, and she has posted 51 punchouts across 73 innings. She’s also fresh off her first collegiate no-hitter, which she tossed against Coastal Bend College on April 12.

“She built upon last year,” Church said. “She had to throw a lot of innings last year, and I think she’s had a jump on a lot of people this year because of that. Her growth is a product of last season.”

Church’s signing of three freshman pitchers has worked in Mason’s favor, allowing her to improve her numbers while also sharing the lessons learned from 2022 with the young staff.

“When we signed some new arms, I was relieved but also nervous,” Mason admitted.

“Having that competition around was something I wasn’t used to during my freshman year, but as the weeks passed, it helped me realize there is room for more pitchers in that circle, and we needed to do this thing together. It turned into me wanting to help the younger pitchers who are nervous or going through something out there in the circle, just like I was last year.”

Mason has found success with a pitch selection that includes baffling breaking balls and swing-and-miss off-speed offerings. Her conviction in her pitch types and circle presence has made an impression on her teammates.

“I expect her to hit her spots,” sophomore catcher Emily Kristynik said. “She comes to the circle and she’s confident; she knows how to attack batters with different speeds and a lot of control, and she can win at-bats and get outs. When she steps on the field, she knows she has a job to do, and she doesn’t hesitate; she’s out there to perform to the best of her abilities.”

Mason aims to end her junior college run by aiding in Blinn’s push for a postseason berth. The Bucs are 22-12 overall and 8-4 in the Region XIV South Zone. In the meantime, she also is preparing to continue her education in psychology with a handful of four-year softball programs recruiting her services.

“I just want to win here first and continue to grow,” Mason said. “After that, we’ll see what’s next for me.”

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 43 NJCAA national championships since 1987.