The Deuce is Loose

Ella Chancey has a goal of visiting every Major League Baseball stadium at some point, but in the meantime, she’s doing a great job of frequenting the same spot often. The senior third baseman on the South Carolina Softball team is batting .359 through 16 games with eight of her 14 hits being doubles.

“Some people are calling me ‘Deuce’ a lot because I wear number 2, or they’ll say, ‘the deuce is loose,’ and (junior first baseman) Ari (Rodi) called me ‘double-deuce,’” said Chancey, who is in her first year at South Carolina after transferring from Charlotte. “I think it has a lot to do with the freedom I’m allowing myself to play with this year. I’m not trying to put pressure on myself while trusting my training and process and also trusting my teammates behind me. When I’m in the box, I tell myself to just pass the bat to (senior shortstop) Brooke (Blankenship), who has been in the five-hole behind me, and that if I don’t get the job done, she will.

“Coach Ash (Ashley Chastain Woodard) has given me a lot of freedom and that’s allowed me to see the ball as a beachball right now. I know I can rely on my power when needed, but I’m just trying to work the gaps, get on base, and keep things as simple as possible.”

To date, Chancey has 26 career doubles, 9 triples, and 26 home runs. She spent three years at Charlotte before transferring to South Carolina this year to follow head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard, who is in her first year leading the Gamecock program after serving as the 49ers head coach the previous five years.

“When Coach Ash took the job here, it was very clear to me that I wanted to play my last year with her and the rest of the staff,” said Chancey, who is a services management and interdisciplinary studies major and aspires to be a college coach someday. “She recruited me back in high school, and I’ve created a great relationship with her. She is an amazing person, and I know that she really values me for who I am. She has helped bring out a lot of the good qualities in me. When I came in as a freshman, I think she would say I was shy and on the reserved side, and she has helped me grow to be more confident as a player and as a person.”

Her bat has certainly never been shy or reserved as Chancey’s collegiate career got off to a tremendous start as when she batted .322 with 11 home runs, 6 doubles, and 38 RBI in her rookie year and was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team. As a sophomore, she belted 9 home runs with 24 RBI, but the batting average fell to .248. She rebounded as a junior and earned First Team All-American Athletic Conference honors after hitting .316 with 8 doubles, 4 triples and 6 home runs to go along with 38 RBI.

“Going into my freshman year, I was just thinking that if I could earn a starting role that’s what I’ll do, but I didn’t have any expectations,” Chancey said. “I ended up earning that role at third base and played every game. Doing that in my first year was pretty amazing. Not having expectations helped me. It was everything I could have dreamed of. My second year, some may call it a sophomore slump, but I think a lot of learning and growth occurred. I still had some good power numbers, but my average was down. I went into that year with a lot of expectations and put a lot of pressure on myself to try to live up to what I did the year before. By the end of the year, I was able to trust myself and be in the moment. Going into my third year, I took a lot of what I had learned and realized I only get four of these years, so I need to make the most of it. I needed to enjoy myself and have fun. That’s what translated to my success last year.”

In her first season with the Gamecocks, she has taken on a leadership role on the field and in the locker room.

“I always try to lead by example,” said Chancey, who also has a good reputation for her sense of humor. “I also try to do what I can to create conversations that need to be had, whether it’s in a tough moment or a good overall moment. I think having more than three years of playing in every game has allowed me to come into this space and bring in my experience and knowledge. This year, I’m also allowing myself to be more free and have more fun than I’ve had in the past. Whether it’s doing a dance move on the field or whatever it may be, I’m playing a lot more free and maybe making my teammates laugh sometimes.”

Raised in Athens, Georgia, Chancey grew up going to a lot of University of Georgia Softball games and fell in love with the sport at a young age. In addition to her love for playing on the diamond, she enjoys visiting professional baseball stadiums and has seen games in the home venues for the Colorado Rockies, Anaheim Angels, and Atlanta Braves.

“I have a long way to go,” Chancey said. “I’m going to work on that when I’m done with softball.”

While she looks forward to seeing more, for now she’s content with frequent visits to second base.

“I think a lot of how grateful I am to be here,” Chancey said. “My faith is a big thing for me, and I think a lot about how far the Lord has brought me, the gifts he has given me, and how thankful I am to get to use them here.”