Strasburg-Franklin's Amelia Spidell understands program history, then adds her name to it

The pitcher won three state titles in a row for Strasburg-Franklin, who now has more state titles than any other softball program in Ohio history

Amelia Spidell of Strasburg-Franklin delivers a pitch during the 2024 OHSAA state tournament at Akron's Firestone Stadium. / Jeff Harwell, SBLive Sports

AKRON, OHIO – It might not seem normal that an 18-year-old can rattle off the history of their high school sports program.

Enter Strasburg-Franklin’s Amelia Spidell.

Spidell had just helped Strasburg’s softball program make history on Saturday, June 1, in the OHSAA Division IV state championship game at Firestone Stadium, firing a three-hit shutout to defeat Monroeville 10-0 in five innings. The win gave the Tigers their third straight state title and the 10th in program history, breaking a tie for the most championships for a school with Warren Champion and Akron Springfield.

But the senior wanted to make sure that everyone knew that without those who came before her, Saturday’s history-making performance would not have been possible. So when she sat down in front of the media at the postgame press conference, with the championship trophy sitting in front of her, Spidell decided it was time for a story as her dad, head coach Tom Spidell, watched on with a smile.

“What’s really special and this a little bit of a story, so I'm sorry I'm taking up so much time,” Amelia Spidell started.  “The program started at Strasburg in 1985. The first state championship was won in 1987. Two years after Bud Weisgarber started it. ’87, ’88, ’89, my aunt Tammy pitched those three state championships.

“Fast forward 40 years, my dad got the job and 2020 (his first year), was the COVID year. In 2021, we didn't win but in 2022, 2023, 2024, we won. And I just think that that is so incredible. It's like history repeating itself almost. It's just so cool.”

Knowing the history of the program was not only a motivator for Spidell, but it also put more pressure on her shoulders from the time she was a freshman, along with the fact that she would be playing for her father.

“Added pressure, that was definitely something I felt too,” Spidell said after the Tigers defeated Berlin Hiland in the sectional semifinals on May 7. “It was one of those things like I don't want people to think I'm just playing just because my dad's the coach.

“And on top of that, another level that most people probably don't think of is my aunt, who won three state championships and she's the only one that has her number retired at the school. So my freshman year I was a little bit nervous.”

But those nerves would soon dissipate and Spidell would show that she was in the pitching circle based on her merit, not on her relationship with the head coach.

“As I've gotten older, I've realized that my game I think has spoken for itself and that I'm more than just a coach's kid,” Spidell said.  

Saying her game speaks for itself in an understatement.

The Ohio Dominican recruit has been nothing short of spectacular for the Tigers over the last three seasons, especially once Strasburg made the trip to Akron for the Division IV state tournament. She finished her career 6-0 at Firestone Stadium, allowing just 26 total hits and seven runs while striking out 72 and taking home three state championships.

While she understood the history of the Strasburg program, she also knew the history of most championships won by a team in OHSAA history, partly because someone who has played a major role in that history is someone close to the Spidell family.

Alanna Barker (now Overholt), who won four straight titles for Springfield from 1992-95, is Spidell's pitching coach. But she is also one of Amelia’s biggest fans, even if it means rooting for her pupil to pass the teacher’s records.

“Honestly, she's been my biggest supporter,” Spidell said earlier this season. “This whole offseason, she's just been preaching to me how badly she wants me to beat her record and how special that would be for her.”

It wasn’t just lip service from the pitching coach, either.

Because when Amelia Spidell took to the pitching circle at Firestone Stadium for her final two high school starts in the state semifinals and the state championship game, there was no missing Barker-Overholt, who was sitting right behind home plate, wearing an orange and black tiger-striped bodysuit, cheering on her student with every pitch.

"My two biggest inspirations growing up playing softball was my aunt Tammy who won three (titles) and then Alanna who won four (titles) while she was in high school," Spidell said after winning the state championship for the third time. "Never once has (Alanna) been upset or jealous or anything that this record was probably going to be broken for her school district, but instead she poured it into me and constantly in our pitching lessons, we talked about that. We talked about what I needed to do to help the team break that record, and she just wanted what was best for me and I couldn't have asked for a better pitching coach."

As this season’s postseason run began, Spidell didn’t want to look too far ahead, but she also understood what another state championship would mean not only for the program, but for her individually.

“I just think that would be really special just being in the history books with not only my aunt but my pitching coach too,” Spidell said after that sectional semifinal in May.

And now the niece and the student will forever be mentioned in the same breath as her two inspirations.

“They're legends and it's honestly so flattering to even be in the same ballpark as them,” Spidell said.

-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh