Vibing with Virginia: Eaton bombing away with UVA
· Yahoo Sports
One could use all the superlatives he or she thinks of to describe the greatness of the talent that is Macee Eaton.
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They wouldn't be enough — because Eaton's greatness is more than the aura or talent that oozes from the first baseman's glove or the bat speed of one of the greatest softball players to ever hail from the Tri-State Area.
With all the awards that Eaton has won in her career, one could write a book, and it would sell based on the sheer list with a paragraph description beside each award.
Eaton's game, however, is much more than what her talent shows. It's about the passion and pride that she has in putting her corner of the map — Wheelersburg and Scioto County — on full display.
And that is something she takes much more to heart than the stats she's accumulated, and the awards and accolades she's garnered to go along with her 28 career home runs, .971 .OPS, .327 batting average and .990 fielding percentage as a three-year starter for the University of Virginia.
"It means everything," Eaton said of representing Wheelersburg. "Being at Virginia, five-and-a-half hours away, and still having that awesome 'Burg community support and them being proud of me, that honestly gives me the drive that I have. My parents (Amanda and Jonathan) have always pushed me, as has Teresa (Ruby), Dusty (Salyers), Susan (Reutzel) and Jackie (Hawk-Conley). They are an amazing coaching staff. They helped make me into the player that I am today. My teammates pushed me. Being a part of the Wheelersburg community is everything. I love going home and supporting my sister (Emmee) and the high school team now. I just want to show the high school team that I'm proud of them."
Eaton, who began playing softball in a serious fashion at the age of six, made her dreams of going to the NCAA Division I level a serious one by the time she was nine.
Her parents, Amanda and Jonathan, sat Macee down. They wanted her to list her goals, and then pursue them with full vigor.
"My Dad sat me down, and so did my Mom," Eaton said. "They wanted me to state my goals and what I wanted. My goal was to play at a D-I school, and I worked my butt off to get there."
From the outset, Eaton was a star. She developed early under Salyers, who coached Eaton among others with the Buckeye Elite travel ball program, a program that became highly successful across the State of Ohio and the entire Midwest.
"With Dusty coaching us, we did a lot of traveling growing up with Buckeye Elite, and he was also a coach for that organization," Eaton said. "Getting to the high school level and having the success that we did with him as a part of that was a full-circle moment."
And when she wasn't playing softball, she was absorbing it — either with her best friend, AndiJo Howard, as a bat girl for Wheelersburg head coach Teresa Ruby's teams in the mid-2010s or soaking up knowledge between her own father and Salyers.
"Growing up, I was watching Teresa Ruby coach a program," Eaton said. "AndiJo and I were the bat girls. We got to constantly see that fight, that hard work, that grit and wanting to win, and I just applied that to my schooling, my friendships and everything like that. Wheelersburg softball isn't the same if you don't have Teresa Ruby."
Eaton ultimately led the Wheelersburg 11-12 All-Stars to a state championship in 2017 and had a significant summer that saw Eaton star against both state competition and against Central Region foes.
Eaton's group may have not advanced out of the regional tournament like the 2018 squad eventually did on its way to a World Series crown. But her play helped set the stage for that accomplishment to be made.
She only continued progressing from there.
A skilled multi-sport athlete, Eaton enjoyed a successful two-sport career from the jump.
In girls basketball, Eaton was a menace on the court — helping guide the Lady Pirates to an 88-10 overall record in her four seasons at Wheelersburg.
Eaton was Division III Special Mention All-Southeast District in her junior and senior seasons on a stacked Lady Pirate roster that featured Alaina Keeney in her junior year and Lexie Rucker, Makenna Walker, Madison Whittaker, Kiera Kennard, Annie Coriell, Jocelyn Tilley, and Mia Vastine in both seasons as major contributors.
As a sophomore, Eaton was a contributor alongside future college basketball players in Keeney and Kaylee Darnell en route to leading Wheelersburg to a OHSAA Division III Regional Final appearance, then helped lead the Lady Pirates to the OHSAA Division III Regional Semifinals alongside the core group mentioned above.
During her senior season, Eaton's squad suffered a pair of setbacks to West for its first conference losses in Eaton's high school career.
But Wheelersburg rebounded with a spirited playoff push, winning each of its first three postseason contests by 13 or more points to reach the regional round, then defeating both Union Local (49-47) as well as West (50-41), the latter in the third matchup between the two SOC rivals.
Eaton scored 10 against the Lady Jets and a Wheelersburg-high 19 points against the Lady Senators to help the Lady Pirates reach their first OHSAA Final Four in program history. She hit a game-high four threes against West in a game that Wheelersburg won by nine.
Eaton finished her high school basketball career with just two conference defeats in four seasons.
That, alone, is impressive for any player.
But while skilled in girls basketball, her accomplishments in that sport paled in comparison to what she was able to do in softball.
Eaton's freshman season in the Spring of 2020, however, didn't happen. That, unfortunately, was the case for every athlete in every level of sport that year, as the season was shuttered before it began due to COVID-19 restrictions.
"My class hated it, sure, but we knew that we couldn't control it," Eaton said. "We could only control what we could control. Our sophomore year was basically our freshman year, but we had already played high levels of softball and travel ball. We had played in state championships and the Great Lakes Region Tournament, so we knew high-stakes situations. That ultimately ended up applying to our high school success, even though we didn't have a freshman year."
That didn't stop Eaton from putting together a monstrous career.
In her sophomore season, Eaton made her first trip to the OHSAA Division III Regional Tournament count, going 6-for-8 between the Division III Regional Semifinals and Finals with two home runs, two doubles and eight RBI. The Lady Pirates blitzed both Tuscarawas Valley (13-6) and Ironton (9-1) as a result, allowing the program to reach the 2021 OHSAA Final Four, its first appearance at that stage since 2017.
Wheelersburg lost to the eventual state champions, Sherwood Fairview, in the OHSAA Division III State Semifinals in a 10-8 barnburner in Eaton's first appearance at Firestone Stadium.
"I was so nervous," Eaton said. "I was so nervous that first time. I just remember my heart racing. Having that experience and being able to go back was awesome."
Eaton went back to the holy grail of Ohio softball, alright.
And this time, Wheelersburg wasn't to be denied.
A First-Team All-Ohioan as a sophomore, Eaton helped lead the Lady Pirates to a 59-1 overall record over the next two seasons.
No. 23 went on a generational run against her fellow Buckeye State competition, and it began in the 2022 postseason, where Eaton drove nine home runs over fences across Ohio in postseason play en route to 20 for the year.
By the time Eaton returned to Firestone Stadium as a junior, opponents threw around Eaton intentionally — but that still didn't prevent Eaton from making an impact, as she proceeded to go 2-for-4 with four walks, a home run, a double, two RBI and four runs scored as Wheelersburg's three-hole hitter against Cardington-Lincoln and Massillon Tuslaw.
Fittingly, Eaton had the 2022 OHSAA Division III State Championship Game's lone homer, a solo home run that was the final hit and run for the Lady Pirates to cap off its 5-2 victory over Tuslaw in that state title game.
Wheelersburg went 27-1 that year. Eaton was named First-Team All-Ohio again, and, after being named as a Third-Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, moved up to Second-Team NFCA All-America honors as a junior.
2023 would be even better.
In that campaign, the Lady Pirates went a perfect 32-0. Eaton, who finished her illustrious high school career with 49 home runs, went 4-for-7 during the 2023 OHSAA State Final Four with a home run, a triple, a double, two RBI and four runs scored as Wheelersburg completed its undefeated season with a 6-1 win over Canfield South Range in the OHSAA State Final Four and a 6-0 triumph over Lewistown Indian Lake in the OHSAA Division III State Championship Game.
For the third consecutive year, Eaton was named First-Team All-Ohio, and was named as a NFCA All-American for the third straight season as well, bumping her honors up to First-Team.
Wheelersburg went 85-3 in Eaton's three seasons of high school softball for a 96.6 winning percentage. A consensus top-40 recruit in America in her graduating class, Eaton herself was invited to the Premier Girls Fastpitch's (PGF) High School All-American Game.
She credited the versatility of her teammates and herself — a quality that was a program staple — for Wheelersburg's overall success in winning two OHSAA Division III State Championships and going back-to-back successfully.
"In Little League, we all tried all different positions," Eaton said. "I remember playing shortstop. I remember being in the outfield. I even remember trying pitching, which didn't go very well. But the point of that is, we all knew how to play different positions or understood how they worked. Being able to play in high school and already having that great family connection with each other — we all could fit and mold ourselves into pieces to help us win a championship, and we did that really well. I talked to Teresa, and I asked her, 'How would my freshman year have gone?' She said, 'you'd probably be in right field.' I said, 'Oh, okay. That's interesting.' My sophomore year, I caught and played first base, and then I was a first baseman the rest of my career. But it was good being versatile. I believe that's what helps a team become so successful."
With her talent obvious, Eaton had her pick of the litter in terms of college softball programs wanting her to be a focal point of their team.
Eaton chose Virginia because the atmosphere on her recruiting visits there was similar to that of what she had experienced throughout her time at Wheelersburg.
"I told myself that I wanted to have that family atmosphere," Eaton said. "Coach Jo (Joanna Hardin) did an amazing job making me feel welcome. The players welcomed me with open arms. I feel like that's what actually made me pick Virginia. They not only saw potential in me, but they have that family atmosphere that reminded me of home. We've been so successful here at Wheelersburg, and I just wanted to have that same feeling and bring that underdog vibe with Virginia. Hopefully, we just keep making history there. I love it."
Coming in with the highly-heralded status that Eaton had as arguably the best softball player to come out of Southern Ohio, the lofty expectations that Eaton had facing herself would be hard for any individual, no matter the talent, to meet.
But Eaton has arguably exceeded all expectations.
Playing in 51 games and starting 47 as a true freshman infielder, Eaton helped Virginia improve from 30-22 the year prior to her arrival to 34-20 in her first season on campus, and held down a starting spot throughout the season behind a reliable defensive glove and overall work ethic that saw Eaton commit just two errors in 2024 in 82 defensive chances. The Hoos qualified for the NCAA Division I National Tournament for just the second time in program history and went to the 2024 Knoxville Regional Final.
As has been the case throughout Eaton's career, things have only gotten better from there.
In 2025, Virginia improved further, going 38-19 as Eaton showcased tremendous growth at the plate, improving her batting average by nearly 120 points from her freshman season (.213 to .331) while rapidly increasing her slugging percentage by nearly 400 points (.291 to .645). Eaton hit 13 home runs, had 27 extra base hits and posted 63 RBI offensively and committed just five errors in 401 defensive chances (.988) en route to being named a Second-Team All-ACC and a Second-Team NFCA All-Region selection.
Further improvement followed in Eaton's junior season.
En route to helping Virginia go 40-15 overall and reach its second regional final at the Knoxville Regional in three seasons, Eaton again raised her batting average immensely, going from .331 to a whopping .416 at the plate with 13 home runs, 31 extra base hits, 66 RBI and over twice as many walks (24) as strikeouts (11), posting a walk-to-strikeout ratio of greater than two-to-one.
Eaton also posted a .751 slugging percentage, nabbed a .483 on-base percentage and claimed a 1.232 .OPS.
Of all the above categories, Eaton either tied for or led the entire Virginia team in each of the above stats with the exception of total walks and walk-to-strikeout ratio, the latter of which Eaton was second on the team in.
Defensively, one of Wheelersburg's favorite daughters was a stonewall, committing just one error in 353 defensive chances for a .997 fielding percentage, which led all everyday players on the UVA roster.
Eaton, who has played in and started in each of the Hoos' last 102 games, was unsurprisingly a First-Team All-ACC honoree as well as a Second-Team NFCA All-America recipient. She broke her own RBI record from the previous season with her RBI tally in 2026.
Among many additional awards, Eaton was also named as a College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District and Academic All-American honoree, as well.
But if you ask Eaton, the awards are all mush to her.
"I don't pay any attention to any of the stats or the outside noise or anything like that," Eaton said. "The second I start worrying about that stuff, I know my stats would just fall. I've put in the work and have given my blood, sweat and tears to the game, so I feel like success should come. I knew it was going to happen. I didn't know it was going to happen so quickly my junior year, but I always set goals for myself. I got to be an All-American in high school, but it's a totally different story being an All-American in NCAA Division I softball. I'm so grateful that they felt my stats were good enough to be one."
What Eaton does concern herself with, however, is the impact that she has on her community. When the chances are allowed, Eaton comes home to impart her own wisdom on the next generation of Wheelersburg softball standouts.
"I love it," Eaton said. "Every time I come home from Virginia, I go to their practices. Sometimes, I'll talk to the first baseman, sometimes, I'll just watch them practice. They ask me questions, and I certainly try to give them as much wisdom as I can. I just want to show them that if they have a dream, even if they're from a small town, anything's possible. I just love our Wheelersburg community, and I just know that I have to give back in some way. I still give lessons and am trying to help the next generation of players make a state championship run."
Eaton also stays in constant communication with her former Wheelersburg teammates, and, along with them and fellow Notre Dame-turned-Pittsburgh pitching standout Gwen Sparks, get together to hold a camp that Eaton spearheads for aspiring softball players.
"AndiJo (Howard) is my best friend, and I talk to her every single day," Eaton said. "We work out together all the time. I see Sydney Skiver a lot. I even see Gwen Sparks, because I do an annual camp where we all come back and get to rekindle and see how we're all doing and catch up. I keep in contact with them all the time. I still talk with Catie Boggs a great deal of the time. So yes, I certainly stay in touch with them."
This past June, however, Eaton was on the sidelines helping create noise. She was undoubtedly the loudest Wheelersburg fan prior to the bottom of the fourth inning of the Lady Pirates' 2026 OHSAA Division V State Championship Game against Baltimore Liberty Union, helping stir up the Lady Pirate crowd just prior to a three-run bottom of the fourth that tied the game at four apiece. Wheelersburg then scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead.
Wheelersburg ultimately won the contest by a 7-6 count to claim its fifth state title in program history. Eaton loved how the Lady Pirates went about their business throughout it all.
"I'm really proud of the whole team," Eaton said. "They weren't a really big home run hitting team, so it was fun seeing them execute the short game more often. They had some much grit and believed they could do it. That took them very far. They had really good chemistry, which was also great."
However, she certainly was not more proud of any one individual than she was of her younger sister, Emmee.
Now a two-time state champion herself, Emmee developed her own game and established herself as the team's No. 1 starter in 2026 inside the circle.
The younger Eaton fought off early adversity and, after being reinserted for Wheelersburg relief pitcher Rylan Butcher after a strong showing, even fought off late adversity to record the game's final out, a 4-3 groundout to first base, to help seal Wheelersburg's fifth state title in the sport of softball as a major contributor in the Lady Pirates' run to yet another ring.
"She's her own force to be reckoned with," Macee said of Emmee. "We have a lot of people that compare us, but Emmee's a beast. She can pitch it so well. I don't feel like she gets all the credit she deserves. I'm extremely proud of her. It was so hard to watch on the sidelines. I just wanted to take a bat and just be out there. Emmee controlled the team, and I'm just so proud of her."
Individually speaking, Macee Eaton, like many college students her age, is still trying to pin down her exact direction in life. However, Eaton knows that she wants to help kids in some form, and mentioned the possibility of working in counseling, child therapy or social work.
Her natural leadership skills certainly lend well toward a potential future in coaching, and of course there's the possibility that Eaton could be playing the game as a professional softball player with the sport of softball continuing to grow and Eaton continuing to improve rapidly.
"I want to help people," Eaton said. "I believe that I can help young athletes and, hopefully, be able to be a therapist and work at the hospital a little bit, if Teresa will allow me. My desired path changes, but I know that I want to help kids, I just don't know exactly what aspect yet."
However, Eaton does know that she wants to lead Virginia to an ACC Championship and the program's first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance — as well as, perhaps, the program's first NCAA World Series appearance as well.
"At the end of the day, I just want our team to make it to a super regional, and, hopefully, a NCAA World Series," Eaton said. "I really want a World Series ring. That would be awesome. Then winning an ACC Championship. That would be really cool."
But no matter where she is, showing what Wheelersburg and Scioto County can do will be at the center of it all.
"I just love how we're kind of going in a circle," Eaton said. "I'm giving back, finally, to the community that gave so much to me and is helping me be a better softball player. We're building the Wheelersburg softball community together, which is awesome. We're leaving a legacy here. It's not just a football school anymore. We're slowly becoming a softball school, and I think that's pretty cool to see, especially young female athletes getting recognition. It's awesome to see that coming from Wheelersburg."