Maren Angus-Coombs | Sports Illustrated
A legally blind softball standout has committed to St. John’s, refusing to let her eye disease stand in the way of her Division I dreams and inspiring others with her resilience.
There is nothing ordinary about Jenica Matos.
Standing at about 5-foot-6, the junior pitcher for Cheshire High School in Connecticut carries herself like a true ace.
Except, she doesn’t see where the ball is going after she releases it.
Matos is visually impaired. She has a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt disease, which causes central vision loss.
“I would have never known,” Cheshire coach Kristine Drust said. “I don’t think anybody would ever know. She pitches with dominance and confidence, just complete control out there. You would never know she’s dealing with adversity every pitch. She’s an absolute gamer.
“Some people might think it’s something that holds her back; I actually think it might propel her forward.”
Matos received her diagnosis at 10 years old, and her vision worsened over time, but over the past couple of years, “it’s kind of stayed the same.”
As she has gotten older, minor adjustments must be made on the field for her to be at her best. She needs her catcher to wear a chest protector and glove in contrasting colors. For high school ball, her coach wears black clothing and neon gloves to give signals. When she plays club ball for the Empire State Huskies, she uses PitchComm.
Matos doesn’t know if she will completely lose her vision or not but the one thing about her future she can control is where she plays collegiately.
On Nov. 3, 2024, Matos announced her commitment to play at St. John’s. While she hadn’t talked about her vision impairment publicly, the coaches knew about it and were willing to give her whatever support she needed.
For now, Matos will continue keep opponents off-balance. On Monday, she pitched an 11-inning complete-game, striking out 25 and allowing only two hits.
Matos doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her because she has this disease. She wants to be respected as one of the best pitchers in the state, and maybe the country. She is determined to “get the Gatorade Player of the Year award.”
“Even though I have an eye disease, it doesn’t really shape who I am as a player and a person,” Matos said. “It’s my talent and how hard I work. I don’t get anything given to me because I have an eye disease. I actually work for it, and I love doing what I do, even if it’s hard most of the time.”