Chelsea Mack soon to follow path of older sister, Alexis, as SEC softball star
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio (BVM) – Chelsea Mack just concluded one of the best high school softball seasons the state of Ohio has seen. It was a terrific finish to what has been a brilliant high school career playing for Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, and one that looks pretty familiar to many.
Mack has followed in the footsteps of her older sister, Alexis, who was also a star for Brecksville. An All-American, Alexis batted an eye-popping .682 as a senior, and well over .600 for her Brecksville career. Perhaps her biggest attribute was her speed, as she graduated as the state record-holder for steals in a season (79) and in a career (234). She also holds numerous other program marks in what was an illustrious career with the Bees.
“Those are goals that I set in eighth grade,” Alexis said. “I knew what those numbers were … It really pushed me to always have something to achieve. Even though I might be hitting .600 or .700, who cares? I can’t take a game off personally because I really wanted to leave my legacy in that way.”
For Alexis, her success came from the hard work she put in. From day one, she loved the grind of working to get better at her craft. Throughout her career, she also kept a chip on her shoulder that kept her motivation high, continually believing there were players out there better than her.
“I love to practice,” Alexis said. “I almost love to practice more than I love to play. That’s what made me continue to fall in love with it. It was never hard for me to work.
“I always took on an underdog mentality whether it was on my high school team, my travel ball teams, my collegiate teams, up until my very last game. I was always so grateful just to hear my name and I knew that I had to earn it every single game.”
Alexis left an unmatched legacy when she graduated from Brecksville in 2015, and she credits her dad, Rex, for her success. Rex is the one that got Alexis into softball, exemplified by giving her a bat and tee for her first Christmas.
A former baseball player himself, Rex has also been able to teach plenty to each of his daughters. Becoming the manager at Brecksville when Alexis was a freshman, the tandem changed the face of the program.
“In terms of my legacy on the program, I really have to give a lot of the credit to my dad,” Alexis said. “He is a phenomenal coach … He really knew how to utilize me as a player and develop me as a player and create a phenomenal culture that you still see today.”
While there is a seven-year age gap between Alexis and Chelsea, they have proven to be very similar talents. After playing some other sports when she was younger like gymnastics and soccer, Chelsea got serious with softball after seeing Alexis succeed.
“I saw that if she [Alexis] was able to get to the Division I level, then I can too because we had very similar resources,” Chelsea said.
By eighth grade, Chelsea had realized her own elite talent. Playing with her travel team in a national tournament out in California, the Brecksville senior batted 1.000 for the week. Before long, she joined the Beverly Bandits – an elite travel team Alexis also played for growing up – further developing her game.
“Being around people with such amazing talent at such a young age, it pushed me so hard to want to become better,” Chelsea said.
A detail-oriented player with elite speed, Chelsea was prepared to cement a legendary status at Brecksville as well. It began with a learning year as a freshman, but a season which was her favorite.
“My freshman year was my favorite year of my entire life, solely for my high school softball season,” Chelsea said. “Not only is high school softball a different level of playing, but the culture and the ability to be with your team every day and work hard with everyone who has the same goal … I thought that was really cool.”
Sadly, the joy would turn to sadness a year later when Chelsea lost one of her high school softball seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was crying so much,” Chelsea said about her season being canceled. “I think it was a blessing in disguise, honestly, because my sophomore year was the same team that we had this year and without that year off I don’t think we would’ve gotten as far as we did this year.”
Chelsea and her teammates formed a club team that summer and vastly improved, setting the stage for a tremendous junior season in which she was just happy to be back on the field.
“I was definitely just grateful and along the way came the steal numbers and the accolades,” Chelsea said. “I don’t really focus on that, it’s just the journey and getting to play.”
The 2021 season was one to remember for Chelsea as she batted .570 with 61 hits and 46 runs scored. She also led the state with 73 stolen bases, second all-time to Alexis’ 79.
As a senior, Chelsea came in ranked in the top 20 nationally by Extra Inning Softball, and had another special season which included a batting average well over .700 and around 70 steals once again. A recent loss in the postseason stings, but the Brecksville senior wasn’t worried about records or wins, rather how she could position herself for future success.
“I came in trying to do anything I could to prepare for college,” Chelsea said. “I wasn’t necessarily coming in to break records or be the best player in the state … I guess along the way everything kind of worked out.”
Part of that motivation and drive to succeed in college comes from Alexis and what she accomplished in her brilliant college career.
“It’s definitely pushed me to work harder, just for the fact that I saw how hard she worked,” Chelsea said. “Seeing her play at the higher level only fuels me to work harder.”
Coming out of high school, it was no secret Alexis had many college suitors. With former Alabama star Kayla Braud as her idol, the softball star knew there was one team, or at least one conference, she wanted to compete in.
“I wanted to play in the SEC, point blank,” Alexis said. “I really wanted to play for Patrick Murphy from a very young age. I used to look up the YouTube videos of their team when I was younger and I really wanted to play for Alabama.”
However, playing in Ohio, Alexis wasn’t being recruited by some of the schools she wanted to. While playing with the Bandits, she began seeing more and more offers, and eventually an SEC school popped up.
“That was the highest level and I knew I could leave my mark there and that was the best way to do it,” Alexis said. “South Carolina was the first school to offer me from there. I went down and connected with the hitting coach at the time and I loved it.”
Alexis had a strong freshman season where she hit .341 for the Gamecocks, but it just wasn’t the right fit for her skillset, so she decided to transfer. As a result, she ended up in Eugene, Oregon, something unimaginable prior.
“Things developed and they actually were looking for a speed player so I happened to solve these problems,” Alexis said. “I went to Oregon with the mindset that I was going to be the 18th player on the roster, I was going to be a bench player. I was OK with that because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I get to be surrounded by the best players everyday, I’m going to learn so much and I’m so grateful.’”
Despite the mindset, Alexis became the Ducks’ lead-off hitter right off the bat. She had what she describes as a “magical journey” at Oregon, also reaching the Women’s College World Series for the first time after a dramatic comeback win over Kentucky as a sophomore. She helped the Ducks back to the same stage a year later as a junior.
“I’d dreamed of going to the Women’s College World Series my entire life,” Alexis said.
However, after a couple of years at Oregon, changes to the coaching staff led to eight players transferring. Unsure of what to do, Alexis decided to sit out her senior season just weeks before it began, looking to play elsewhere.
🌻💚🐥 pic.twitter.com/ufRuZv7X6J
— Alexis Mack (@alexissmack) January 24, 2019
“I never wanted to transfer from the University of Oregon,” Alexis said. “It was a dream, I was just obsessed with this place.”
While the circumstances led her on a new journey, Alexis stayed ready, doing the same workouts she had done with Oregon in preparation for her senior season.
“I made my goal that if I’m going to sit out, I’m going to come back, I’m going to be faster, I’m going to be stronger, and I’m going to be better,” Alexis said.
She got to work out with her former idol Braud, coach a high school team and eventually make a new college decision. That led her to her former dream school: Alabama.
“I just couldn’t say no to my dream school,” Alexis said. “That’s how Alabama came about, they reached out to me and I’ll never forget when Patrick Murphy texted me … I gave him a call and the rest is history.”
But like it impacted Chelsea, the Covid pandemic also affected Alexis. Excited to get going at Alabama, her season was sadly canceled. As a result, she had to make a decision on if she wanted one more chance by using her extra year of eligibility.
“Instead of being the grad assistant at Alabama like I was supposed to be that last year, I got to play,” Alexis said. “I’m so thankful for this last year. You can look at my numbers and say this is probably my best season yet, but what you don’t see on paper is that was the first season I really, really got it. I got how to love playing instead of being so focused on outcome and not enjoying it. I enjoyed every single second and I invested in my teammates more than I ever have, grew as a leader and a teammate more than I ever have, and a person.”
Dreams do come true. Alabama, you are the storybook ending to what has been an incredible journey. I am so grateful for this place, but even more so the people. Roll Tide forever.♥️✨💍 pic.twitter.com/NxabZyQsR3
— Alexis Mack (@alexissmack) October 24, 2021
Alexis saved her best for last, batting over .400 with over 20 steals as a first-team All-SEC player, and reaching the Women’s College World Series for the third time in her career.
Now, it will be Chelsea’s time to get to that level as she soon joins the Kentucky Wildcats later this year. Initially, Chelsea had always thought she would want to play where Alexis did. But about a month into her recruiting process, Chelsea became interested in Kentucky.
I am so excited to announce that I will be continuing my athletic and academic career and the University of Kentucky ! I cannot thank my coaches, family , and friends enough who have pushed me to where I am today . I am so excited to compete and call Kentucky home! 💙💙#GoCats pic.twitter.com/EiCDkh3pqJ
— chelsea💖🦋 (@chelseamackkk) November 9, 2020
“Coach [Rachel] Lawson is awesome,” Chelsea said. “I’m so excited to play there. What sold me on Kentucky was the ability that I can be my own person and play my own game, and the team mentality.”
Perhaps watching Alexis play against Kentucky three times in NCAA regionals is what attracted her to the program. Now, she will look to take the Wildcats to the top.
“I haven’t been able to create any goals because I am so focused on just being able to get on the field,” Chelsea said. “My main goal is I’m going to try to get on the field and get in the lineup because that’s very hard to do at such a high level.”
Chelsea soon playing college softball has brought the Mack family’s journey full circle. It begins at the top with Rex, who both girls are extremely grateful for.
“He’s amazing,” Chelsea said. “I just really never met anyone who cares so much about something for someone else. I used to take it for granted, but over the years and as I’ve matured, I’ve been able to figure out this is an amazing thing I’ve had and I’m really grateful.”
“My dad, our relationship has been built through softball,” Alexis added. “I respect him so much as a coach, I respect him so much as a human being. I can’t speak into words the amount he has done for me and not only for me, but for other people.”
There has been pressure on Chelsea to live up to the Mack name in the past, but now, she has fully embraced being Alexis’ sister while also continuing to make her own name. She also continues to learn and be inspired by both her sister and dad.
“It used to make me really sad when people would be like, ‘That’s Alexis Mack’s sister,’” Chelsea explained. “I used to be in my head about it, but I’m grateful to be called that. She’s amazing, she’s played so well and is an All-American. It’s great to have my own name and kind of get out of the saddle, but if people want to know me as Alexis Mack’s sister, that’s great.
“I’ve just never met two people who have worked so hard for something … I don’t really know what I would do without them. She [Alexis] is my biggest inspiration. Before I went into every high school game, especially in the postseason, I called her … It’s so amazing to have someone who has worked so hard put their time into me.”
Alexis, who landed an internship with ESPN last summer and now works as a publicist for the Walt Disney company, is quick to point out that Chelsea has been as much of a role model to her as she has been to her younger sister.
“I’ve been a role model for Chelsea, but Chelsea has been a role model for me,” Alexis said. “Chelsea has taught me probably more than I’ve taught her. That girl plays the game in an entirely different way than I do.”
Proud to be Chelsea Mack’s sister ♥️ https://t.co/csFKWgybeW
— Alexis Mack (@alexissmack) May 9, 2022
As Alexis continues to teach the next generation of softball players through training lessons she gives, she will still look to do the same with her younger sister, hoping she can have a legendary college career just as she did before.
“I think the biggest thing is to go in, and leave still, as a sponge,” Alexis said. “I’m going to encourage her to go in, both in college and the softball field, with an open mind, constantly learning and really spending your effort in investing in your teammates around you and spreading joy to them.
“I hope Chelsea goes on to college and has a better career than I did, as she will because I’m going to make sure of it. She’s very aware of what it takes and she’s not going to make the same mistakes I did. Anytime she needs my advice or my help in the next four years, I will be there, and I will be 100% her biggest cheerleader through that.”
