Catching Up With Chenise Delce

Softball has been a huge part of Chenise Delce’s world for many years. The Oklahoma City native and great friend to the Rookie League Foundation began playing the sport when she was seven and first pitched at 10 years old. From those humble beginnings, she has progressed to make an indelible mark on the sport at many levels. 

Delce was a standout high school player at Choctaw High School and then Carl Albert High School, playing a key role in leading both teams to a state title. She was heavily recruited and chose to sign with the University of Tulsa after graduating from Carl Albert in 2018. After three productive seasons with the Golden Hurricane, Delce felt the need for a change and decided to transfer to the University of Arkansas for her final two seasons of eligibility. That decision would prove to be a wise one. 

Making an immediate impact with the Hogs, Delce was named Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year as a junior in 2022 and was a first-team All-SEC honoree in both seasons in Fayetteville. She was the staff ace on a team that made two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Super Regional. Delce finished with a 40-14 record in two seasons at Arkansas and a stellar 69-29 overall collegiate record. 

Delce was drafted by the Oklahoma City Spark with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 Women’s Professional Fastpitch. She played for the Spark in 2023 and the New York Rise this past summer.

With two years of professional softball under her belt, Delce’s softball journey recently took a new twist with the announcement that she has been hired as an assistant coach/pitching coach at Mid-America Christian University.

Delce was recently named pitching coach at Mid-America Christian University, where she will work under head coach Jim Gasso.

We recently caught up with the always exuberant Delce to hear her thoughts on a variety of topics.  

Are you looking forward to coaching and what made you decide to take this opportunity? 

I am so looking forward to coaching! I took this opportunity because I get to be around the sport I love and help young women as I was helped going through college myself. 

How has your playing career prepared you to step into a coaching role?
I know how tough it is to play mentally, physically, and spiritually. I have experience from college to know how to help my players succeed.
 

Looking back, what have coaches meant to you in your development as an athlete and person? 

Coaches have meant a lot to me personally, my coach at Arkansas helped me with my self-confidence a lot, and I had a coach that was not even in softball and I got to meet with her and she helped me find Jesus. I hope to one day have the impact they have had on my life on my players now and in the future 

What was the best part of playing for the New York Rise this summer? 

The program itself. The coaches, the staff, the players; everyone was so good together and we had a blast. 

Would you like to continue playing pro softball in 2025 and beyond? 

I would love to play, right now I am just deciding if it is best that I put my full focus into coaching or if continuing would be good. 

How important do you think it is for organizations like the Rookie League Foundation to create baseball and softball playing opportunities for underserved youth groups? 

Organizations like the Rookie League foundation is so important because the youth can be exposed to such great sports as bat and ball sports. They get to experience the joy from these sports that they would not have otherwise been able to experience. 

How important has your family been in helping you achieve what you have so far? 

They have been so important. I would be where I am without their support. I am who I am because of their selflessness.