Former Pitt State, Crowder pitcher is sixth ever assistant under Phillips
Chelsea Beville, a former Pittsburg State and Crowder pitcher, will be the sixth assistant softball coach for the Labette Cardinals under head coach Ryan Phillips, who’s entering his 23rd season at the helm.
A native of Seneca, Missouri, Beville was a standout pitcher at both Crowder and Pitt State. In her last two of three years of NJCAA ball, she won 30 games for the Roughriders while nursing an ERA under 2.00.
“Having a JUCO background is beneficial because I know what it takes to make it through a JUCO,” Beville said. “It’s a constant grind. You have to put in a lot of work. Our job is to get the kids experience and get them to a higher level.”
At Pitt State, Beville was used mostly in relief, racking up eight saves over 46 appearances.
Beville is the first assistant under Phillips with college pitching experience — while the Cardinals produce all-conference pitchers nearly every year, Labette hasn’t had an All-American in the circle since Alex Brake in 2016.
“First and foremost, she was a great player that comes from a great background,” Phillips said. “She’s young and wanted to get into the game. Her being a pitcher is huge. I’ve always wanted to have somebody that can really concentrate and break down pitching more elaborately than what I’m able to do.
“We do a good job of recruiting good pitchers and we develop them as much as we’re capable. The rest of the game — hitting and fielding — I can usually identify something and fix it in one rep. But pitching, with how much it’s evolved, it takes me four or five pitches before I may see something. So having somebody that knows foot placement and can see issues immediately is going to be nice.”
Beville believes she can maximize output in the circle from the Cardinals’ pitching staff.
“There are a lot of unique mechanics out there, and I can adapt to that rather than conform them to one society of pitching,” Beville said. “There’s different ways to throw different pitches. But we still want to be consistent with location and approach.”
Beville was recruited by Phillips out of high school — her final two choices were Crowder and Labette.
The two stayed in touch throughout her five-year collegiate career.
“I ran into her a couple of years ago at a football game and we sat and talked for a bit,” Phillips said. “Then when she messaged me and asked if she should apply, I was excited. I know her knowledge of the game is great. I have no doubt she’ll have an easy transition.”
Beville wanted to get into coaching after her athletic career.
“My mom was my high school coach and I wanted to follow in her footsteps,” Beville said. “Coaching is something I’m passionate about. Coach Phillips and I got to know each other well when he was recruiting me in high school. When I reached out when I saw the job posting, he said he’d love to have me.”
Just a few days into the job, Beville has already secured visits from prospects to Parsons.
“I’m dipping my foot into it. Throughout my college career, I was helping the coaches with recruiting in the portal. It’s all about connections,” Beville said. “I just want to be approachable and talk to as many people as I can. Some of my best friends have gone to Labette and loved it here. So I’m just here to build upon what Coach Phillips has already built and fit into the culture.”
Beville is wrapping up her studies in the fall semester, where she’ll graduate from Pitt State with a degree in business management with a minor in accounting.
“I’m still soaking all this in,” Beville said. “There’s not a next step, yet. I want to focus on Labette. This is a pretty hard spot to find a better opportunity than. So I see myself staying here a while.”
