Lily Strand, Class of 2023

EP Alum In The Spotlight: Lily Strand, Class of 2023

Lily Strand has never been one to pay close attention to her statistics. 

The Evergreen Park Community High School softball pitching legend and current Saint Xavier University ace didn’t know the moment when she recorded her 400th career high school strikeout on May 11, 2023, late in her senior season. 

“I had no idea,” said Strand, a 2023 EPCHS alum who is widely considered one of the best athletes to ever put on an Evergreen Park Mustang softball uniform.

Her high school softball coach, Michelle Vucsko, however, does keep close track of the numbers. And on that spring day in 2023, Vucsko made sure everyone else in the Mustang dugout knew exactly when it was coming.   

At the end of the inning when the milestone was reached, Strand’s teammates mobbed her on the field with large balloon numbers, 4-0-0, marking the rare occasion. 

“My teammates surprised me,” Strand said. “I didn’t know what was happening at first, and then I heard the announcement. That was one moment that was super special to me.” 

Strand’s softball career at EPCHS was filled with memorable moments connected to her pitching dominance. Several no-hitters, a shutout win over eventual state champion Lemont and a pitching duel with the then-St. Ignatius' ace pitcher that went 14 innings and ended in a scoreless tie are just a few of the moments that stand out years later. She wasn’t too bad from the plate, either, regularly batting over .500 and sparking numerous Mustang rallies from the top of the lineup.  

 

The accolades kept coming as well. Strand was named to the Class 3A All-State Second Team as an EPCHS junior and won the South Suburban Red Conference Player of the Year award in both her junior and senior seasons. 

But her greatest memories from the high school diamond aren’t about numbers or awards. They’re about her teammates and friends. 

“I went to school with my best friends and they are still my best friends now,” she said. “Playing softball at EP was a lot of fun. I made so many connections with coaches and teachers. There are so many very fun memories.” 

 

EPCHS showed Strand the “importance of community, and what it actually means to build relationships with the people around you,” she said. 

Strand’s softball career is still going strong, a full mile-and-a-half away from EPCHS. She’s been the ace pitcher for the Saint Xavier University softball team the past two seasons and was named the Pitcher of the Year in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics both seasons. Her two-year pitching totals at SXU include a 2.53 earned run average and a 38-14 record with 38 complete games, nine shutouts and four saves over 318.2 innings pitched. In large part due to her leadership on and off the field, the Cougars qualified for the NAIA World Series this past spring. 

Her path from EPCHS to SXU proved more complicated than taking a left on Kedzie Avenue and a right on 103rd Street, however. As a senior in high school, Strand initially signed a letter of intent to play softball at NCAA Division I Saint Louis University. 

At first, it appeared Strand would continue her stardom on the Division I stage without missing a beat. As a freshman, she was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week after the first week of her 2024 season at SLU. 

But then came what many in the baseball and softball world refer to as “the yips.” 

“I developed a mental block,” Strand explained. “I did not have a bad experience there, but I was far from home and felt like I couldn’t pitch at times. I wanted to get through it, but I made the decision to go back home. I missed Chicago.”

Strand chose SXU not only for its proximity to Evergreen Park, but through the recommendations of both Vucsko and Maddie Meisl, a current EPCHS assistant softball coach who played college softball at SXU herself not too long ago. 

“I knew it was a good option,” Strand said. “Maddie went there and loved it so much. Having people back home like that made me know it would be a good decision to switch.” 

Two years in, the experience “has been really great,” she said. 

“They really focus on a balance of life, school and softball. They’re also very flexible with their majors. I was able to start in political science and switch to nursing, and now I will be able to finish with two degrees, nursing and political science.” 

The move also allowed her two more years of softball eligibility. That’s something particularly intriguing seeing as SXU qualified for the NAIA World Series this past year and has the potential to advance even further in the national tournament.

“I’m excited to win,” Strand said. “I think we’re going to win the World Series. We have a bunch of new girls coming in and we’re going to do it.” 

That confidence is another trait further developed during her time at EPCHS. After having spent her freshman year of high school at a nearby private high school, Strand made the decision to return to her public school roots. It didn’t take long for her to realize the additional opportunities and advantages that came with that decision. 

“Being able to be involved in more than one sport is something I really liked about EP,” Strand said. “I was on the swim and dive team for one year and managed the volleyball team, which was super fun because all my friends played volleyball too and I loved cheering them on, watching them do what they love.” 

Strand said her three years at EPCHS showed her “the importance of community” and “what it actually means to build relationships with the people around you.” 

“Life has its ups and downs. But what I learned most of all is how to value the people around me, celebrate together and have people to lean on when you need some help.” 

Even now, more than three years after her EPCHS graduation, Strand stays in close touch with the softball program at her alma mater. 

“They have a young team that has already showed up and showed out winning,” she said. “The fact that they are so young is really encouraging. They are going to get even better with age and working together.” 

She has also regularly shared her expertise with the current group of Mustang softballers, particularly the pitchers. 

“Whenever Coach Vucsko asks, I will help,” she said. “She brought a group of the girls to a game of mine at Saint Xavier. I also got to see Mr. Blake, my coach in middle school. I want all those girls from EP to know they can play in college and be fun to watch.” 

Vucscko can perhaps best emphasize Strand’s significance from an EPCHS softball program perspective. 

“Proven by her time in our program, Lily stands out as one of the best athletes and best teammates to ever play for EPCHS,” Vucsko said. “The footprints she left of EP softball go far beyond her stats and performances; she has an exceptional work ethic, a contagious positive energy and an immeasurable passion for the game, all of which impacted - and continue to impact - her teammates, coaches and the future of our program. Watching her bring those same qualities to SXU has been a joy to watch, and we’re so proud of the career she’s having at the college level.” 

 

While Strand is currently focused on starting her clinical rotation as a nursing student this fall and the upcoming 2027 and 2028 softball seasons for SXU, she knows her involvement in the sport she loves will go far beyond that. 

“I would play softball for the rest of my life if I could,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s possible, but I’ve been a pitching coach for the past few years and would like to continue to coach wherever I can for as long as I can.” 

After all, she has been part of the game for nearly as long as she can remember. 

“I’ve been pitching since I was 7 years old,” she said. “There was no pitching allowed in t-ball (ages 4-6), but as soon as I could pitch, I was pitching.”