When Kya Matter attended an UMBC softball camp in the summer of 2019, she didn’t know one person there … or at least she thought she didn’t.
While there, Matter quickly got to talking with Courtney Coppersmith, the ace of the Retrievers’ pitching staff.
Coppersmith had just finished up her freshman year at UMBC, going 21-14 with a 1.97 ERA, striking out 346 hitters across 224 innings pitched and 40 appearances, the vast majority of which came as a starter.
However, as the two continued to talk, there was something else that caused the two future teammates and rotation mates to bond.
“She was really kind to me and we got to talking after the camp,” Matter said. “She sent me a picture of where she was and I was like, ‘You’re like five minutes from my house.’ We got together while she was by my house and I found out that her grandparents lived really close to me.”
As the two continued to talk, they found out that they played for the same youth softball organization growing up, just on different teams.
Matter, a Dalmatia, Pa., native and Coppersmith, a York, Pa., native, are separated by less than 60 miles, yet this funny coincidence brought the two much closer together.
“We realized really fast that we knew each other but we didn’t know each other way before we thought we did,” Matter said.
Fast forward a few years, and the two have formed one of the best pitching tandems in college softball. UMBC was once again the class of the America East in 2022 en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance.
College can be a challenging time for anyone, especially an incoming freshman who is trying to fit in, trying to get to classes on time and trying to feel comfortable in a much larger environment.
The process becomes much easier with friends, however, and that was the case for Matter, who had Coppersmith to talk to. The friendship between the two blossomed even more as both were rehabbing similar injuries in the fall.
“A week after I got hurt, she got hurt with the same thing,” Coppersmith said. “And I told her, ‘You just wanted to be like me?’ We had a good relationship before that, but it blossomed from there. She started coming over to my house all the time. We started hanging out a lot more. As a result, it was a lot easier for me to be there for her in the spring.”
Once the spring rolled around and the two were fully recovered and ready for the season, it was all systems go for the Retrievers. Matter and Coppersmith put on a show.
Coppersmith, a 5-foot-9 left-hander, posted a 0.78 ERA in 116 innings pitched, allowing 13 earned runs while striking out 219 batters. Opponents hit .106 off of her.
Matter, a 5-foot-5 right-hander, posted a 1.01 ERA in 111 innings pitched, allowing 13 earned runs and striking out 177 batters. Opponents hit .152 off her.
Coppersmith went 11-5 on the year, while Matter went 15-3. It’s safe to say these two were the two best pitchers in the America East.
Like Coppersmith’s rise to stardom with UMBC, Matter has already begun to follow suit with a fantastic freshman season.
“She was doing all of this as a freshman when there’s still a ceiling that she hasn’t even gotten close to yet,” Retrievers head coach Chris Kuhlmeyer said of Matter. “That’s scary for our opponents, but great for her and the program. She’s got that attitude and work ethic where she doesn’t want to lose. She’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
Coming into this season, it looked as though Matter and Coppersmith’s paths would cross for just one year, but Coppersmith will be returning to the program for a fifth year in 2023.
That spells disaster for opponents, who thought they might have seen the last of the duo. For Matter, it means she’ll be able to learn more from her veteran counterpart on the mound.
Not only are the two great friends but great competitors and students of the game. Matter is learning from the best. Coppersmith was named America East Pitcher of the Year for a third time in 2022 as well as ECAC Pitcher of the Year and America East Woman of the Year.
“Courtney was a big advocate for me to get in the game in general,” Matter said. “She knew I worked hard, so she was like, ‘I think Kya will be able to handle herself well and I think we should give her a chance.’ That was a big confidence booster for me hearing her say that and have confidence in me. It was huge for her to say that.”
Matter has already started adding to her own personal trophy case. She was named America East Rookie of the Year in 2022 and earned six Rookie of the Week awards, second-team All-America East and All-Rookie Team honors, and All-ECAC honors.
After Coppersmith’s departure, the torch will be handed down to Matter as the next ace of this program. While that’s still more than a year away, it shows the immense growth that the program has seen in recent years.
“She’s a great person and one of my go-to people for anything so I’m excited for that as well as hopefully getting to help be there for her for at least another year of playing to help be there for her and the rest of the team for whatever they need,” Coppersmith said.
The Retrievers might be in the offseason now, but they’re ready to put the softball world on watch come next spring. Coppersmith and Matter will be at the forefront of that once they step into the circle.
Photo Credit: Ian Feldmann/UMBC Athletics