It’s a familiar sight with longtime Benet Academy head softball coach Jerry Schilf watching his daughter, Sam, mowing down hitters on the pitcher’s mound. This Where Are They Now segment is presented by Grow Sports Psychology.
Softball is a family affair for the Schilfs
After four years of coaching his daughter with the Redwings, the now-retired skipper watches from the stands instead of the dugout, where Sam is in the middle of her senior season with North Central College.
“Even though he’s done coaching, he still has, you know, coaching instinct. But, him being my dad, too, he also has that loving part where he really wants me to do well. And he’ll always give me supportive comments. And he always believes and believes in me, and he always lets me know, like the mental side part of what I should be doing,” said North Central College softball player Sam Schilf.
During her high school years at Benet Academy, Schilf was a major contributor with her arm and her bat, helping the Redwings to back-to-back 3A regional championships in her junior and senior seasons as the team’s ace pitcher.
In her final season playing for her dad in 2022, the Redwings advanced to the sectional championship game, while Sam was named to the ESCC All-Conference team.
“Yeah, that really is special for me. I have a lot of fond memories from high school. I have a lot of friends from high school that I still talk to, especially from that team. And we just wanted to really kind of set the standard and set a really good foundation for the younger generation. And we just wanted to be good leaders for them,” said Schilf.
Dealing on the mound for North Central
Joining the Cardinals in the spring of 2023, Schilf contributed right away, making nine starts for NCC. 2024 was a breakout year for both Schilf and the Cardinal softball team, with Sam going 5-3 with a 1.84 earned-run average for a team that went 29-12.
“From my freshman year, I didn’t really get the chance to start a whole lot, which, looking back, was really beneficial for me because then I got to really learn how to work hard, and how to transition from high school to college because they’re very different, and just gain a better mentality to be a collegiate pitcher. And so once I really started to do that, then I started to find a lot more success,” said Schilf
With 2026 being her senior season with the black and red, Schilf looks to make the most of her final months of competitive softball. The early returns have been promising, with Sam earning two straight CCIW Pitcher of the Week awards in early March.
“I think my biggest goal is just to cherish all the memories, and all the time they’ve put in, I put a lot of hard work and effort, for this moment,” said Schilf. “And so I think just trying to remember all the good times, even when we had hard practice, just. I’ll never get this again. So just being with my teammates and the coaches.”
A final season on the diamond
When the softball season ends, Sam Schilf is set to graduate in May, but her time at North Central is not done yet, as the exercise science major will begin physical therapy school at NCC next January. The former All-CCIW second-team selection will always cherish a chance to pursue a career and play the game she loves so close to her family.
“That’s definitely a big reason why I wanted to play here. My parents have been my big support system, and a big reason why I want to keep playing. They’ve always believed in me, and they always are my biggest cheerleaders. So them being able to watch me play often has been really important to me,” said Schilf.
