EMMETT, Idaho — Oakley Scheibe, 17, is a junior at Emmett High School, and she has spent most of her life on the softball field — from T-ball to national travel ball to leading her high school team as the starting pitcher.
She was born with lymphedema and a vascular malformation, a rare condition that limits circulation in her right arm.
"It's kind of like a cancer in my lymph system, so blood travels into my arm, but it has a hard time getting back out," Scheibe said.
She wears compression sleeves to help keep the blood moving, but the condition affects her daily life beyond softball. She cannot lift more than 20 pounds with her right arm, which puts a lot of stress on her left arm.
After more than a dozen surgeries, she switched to throwing and hitting left-handed when she was 10 years old. She started pitching left-handed at 13.
"It's normal for me, so it's been getting better and better throughout the years," Scheibe said.
Watch to hear more of Oakley Scheibe's story.
But she admits the transition hasn't always been easy. The first two years of playing with her non-dominant hand were a struggle.
"Just simple things like catching a ball is difficult— hitting. Everything is a lot more difficult than it would be for anybody else," explained Scheibe.
Emmett High School softball coach Shelbee Heath said Scheibe's condition doesn't define her on the field.
"When you first meet Oakley, you would never know," said Heath. "She does a great job with it."
Heath, who has been coaching at Emmett for two years, said Scheibe is not just a skilled player, but a trusted leader who excels in high-pressure situations.
"She loves those high-intensity games. She loves those big plays. That's what she looks forward to, and that's where she honestly strives the best," Heath said.
While she was quieter as a freshman, Scheibe has now settled into her role as an upperclassman.
"She's not the loudest leader by any means, but she takes care of her girls and her girls know that she's there for her," added Heath.
Heath described Scheibe as an intense, versatile player who treats softball as her job. "There's not an offseason for Oakley, to put it bluntly," Heath said.
Scheibe also plays for the Washington Grapes, an out-of-state travel team. Despite rarely practicing with them in person, she stays connected through online pitching lessons and meetings with her coaches. She is their go-to pitcher at some of the biggest tournaments in the country.
Scheibe said her pitching journey has been a "roller coaster," but this season has been much better because she has improved the mental side of her game, allowing her to relax and have fun.
This season, she is batting .520 and is currently sitting at 480 career strikeouts — a number Heath called "insane" for a junior. The goal is to hit 550 strikeouts by the end of the season.
Scheibe has already secured big wins against top state programs, giving up only three hits and one run against Middleton, and only five hits against Skyview. She has played in college showcase tournaments, mostly in California, and has already had a few college programs reach out to host her for campus visits. Her goal is to play for a Power 4 conference school.
But Scheibe said none of this would have happened without her support system.
"They've been a great help, and I don't think I could have done any of this without them," Scheibe said.
With the district tournament coming up and hopes of reaching the state tournament in Post Falls, Scheibe said her focus isn't just on performance.
"I just wanna be the best that I can be, whether it's like as a person, softball player, teammate, just be a good person," Scheibe said.
