Minnetonka pitcher Emily Campion had to reopen recruiting after Cleveland State discontinued softball program

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

Minnetonka senior and softball pitcher Emily Campion did everything she was supposed to in her college recruitment. She identified priorities, performed well at camps, spoke with college coaches and took official visits.

Eventually, she committed to Cleveland State University in Ohio and, this past November, was among the more than 300 Minnesota high school seniors to sign athletic aid documents for 2025-26 enrollment at a Division I or Division II college program.

CSU wasn’t Campion’s dream choice, but it checked her boxes. She liked the coach, and she wanted to go to a school in an urban area to help establish her post-college career.

“They had what I was looking for in a major, they went to the NCAA tournament the year before, I met my future roommates,” Campion said. “Everything was good.”

She was set. Until a fateful day in January.

“Someone emailed a news report to me that said Cleveland State was discontinuing softball because of budget cuts,” Campion recalled. “That’s how I found out. I was heartbroken.”

CSU’s board also approved discontinuing its wrestling and women’s golf programs at the conclusion of their respective seasons and relocated the university’s esports program to the college of engineering.

“This was my worst nightmare,” Campion said. “I committed a little late. I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m not going to have a place to play next year.’”

But news traveled fast, and it wasn’t long before Campion’s worst fears were assuaged.

“Within hours, I had hundreds of messages from people telling me they were sorry to hear what happened and from coaches reaching out,” she said.

Support poured in. The original recruiting process had been long and tiring, Campion admitted, but her spirits were buoyed by an outpouring she hadn’t expected.

“It was overwhelming. From my parents and my coaches, from Strike Zone Sports, where I go for pitching and hitting lessons. I had some articles written about me,” Campion said. “In a week and a half, I had a trip out east planned with my dad.”

Campion has always wanted to play on the East Coast, where there are “so many colleges so close to each other. And the Northeast is a major center for business and finance, and that’s what I want to do after college,” she said.

She and her father, Dan, ventured to Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.

“I knew right away it was the one,” she said.

The smooth transition from a potentially devastating setback to a delightful new destination has paid off in Campion’s play this spring.

Minnetonka is off to a 10-0 start, largely built on the arm of Campion. She’s pitching with renewed vigor and confidence born of the support she received when her initial plan fell through.

“I’ve matured so much since last year,” said Campion, whose junior season ended because of a shoulder injury. Getting back on the softball diamond this spring has enabled her to refocus and prioritize her goals, she said.

“It’s my chance to exhale after everything that’s happened. I’m mentally improved over where I was earlier,” Campion said. “I don’t take playing softball for granted anymore. Every game, every pitch is a gift. I don’t feel like I have to be perfect. I know I’m strong enough to succeed.”