By Mark Gregory | @Hear_The_Beard
Downers Grove South senior Caroline Hedgcock is not only the best softball player in the area, earning the Voyager Media Player of the Year honors, in June she was dubbed the best player in the state as she was awarded the Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year honors.
On the season, the University of Arkansas recruit compiled a 14-1 record in the circle along with a 0.951 ERA, leading the Mustangs (36-4) to a third-place finish in Class 4A. She struck out 131 batters in 95.2 innings pitched, while allowing just 49 hits.
At the plate, Hedgcock batted .549 with 22 home runs and 68 RBI. She posted 10 doubles and scored 59 runs.
“It was amazing,” she said of winning Gatorade POY. “I was really surprised. I really couldn’t have done it without Tim Walsh, my pitching coach from San Diego. He is really helping me with screw knuckleball – the off speed I throw. My team makes it easy to be Gatorade Player of the Year because they play such great defense behind me and work with the bats and bring so much energy to the game that it is easy to come on and want to play.”
That knuckle screwball was a pitch that by design seldom even reached home plate on a fly, but still had batters fanning at thin air where they expected the ball to be.
Downers South’s Caroline Hedgcock repeats as Voyager Media Softball Player of the Year.
Catching that pitch may seem like a challenge, but South’s junior receiver Maddison Paladino said Hedgcock’s ability to control the pitch made it dangerous.
“I am so confident in that pitch because Caroline is such a strong pitcher that even if it is a little off, it won’t be so far where I can’t get it,” Palidino said. “It is amazing. When she won (the Gatorade) award, I was so proud of her and I have been proud of her all year for putting the hard work in because she gives it her all. This has been such a great experience. I really didn’t play a lot last year and to come in and be able to catch such a great pitcher and person was such a great experience. She is so good and such a genuinely good person.”
Someone who has seen Hedgcock grow from the beginning is retiring Mustang’s coach Ron Havelka.
“She is special and she always stepped up in big games against good competition,” he said. “She was on varsity for four years and she really knows what to do. People don’t realize is how great of a hitter she really is and she did everything for us that we asked her to do and more. Players like her don’t come around very often. She is very special and she has been since she was a freshman.”
Hedgcock is the second player from Downers Grove to win the Gatorade Player of the Year honors, following North’s Dale Ryndak, who claimed the award in 2014.
Hedgcock earned comparison to Ryndak from her former coach.
“She is a great pitcher,” North coach Eric Landschoot said of Hedgcock. “She throws hard, she hits her spots and she has great off speed stuff and then at the plate, she hits a lot. She reminds me a lot Dale Ryndak, who was the Gatorade Player of the Year two years ago. Just the competitiveness she brings and her knowledge of the game and the way she gets her teammates up. knows how to pitch to good hitters. She knows hitters’ strengths and weaknesses and she knows how to go at them and that will take her far at the next level, too.”
The rest of the Voyager Media All-Area Softball team consists of:
KRISTEN AMES
Joliet West junior shortstop batted .455 with 23 stolen bases for the Tigers.
KRISTEN BIALEK
A senior from Downers South, Bialek batted .427 with 56 hits in 131 at bats. She had 47 runs scored and 18 RBI from the leadoff spot.
“Kristen is the catalyst to our offense and is a four-year starter,” Havelka said. “She is an excellent leadoff hitter who has stolen 30 bases this year and 96 for her career. She is also a solid second baseman who is the leader of our infield. She has ignited many innings with her hitting and base running. She will attend Murray State University on a softball scholarship.”
NICOLE BOND
Bolingbrook junior catcher batted .377 with a .506 on base percentage for the sectional finalists.
“She was the team leader,” Bolingbrook coach Jean Ryan-Moak said. “She was very vocal on and off the field, always talking to our pitching staff throughout the game.”
JULIA BORK
Senior third baseman from Maine South hit .414 with 19 RBI on the season.
“Julia came on strong to end her senior year,” Maine South coach Emilia Pasier said. “She was solid all season at third, but her hitting in the last month propelled the Hawks to some big wins.”
NICOLE BOWMAN
Downers South senior outfielder hit .398 with 23 doubles, six homers, 36 RBI and 35 runs scored.
“Nicole has had a great year for us,” Havelka said. “She is a three-year starter and possesses the strongest throwing arm of any player that has played at Downers Grove South. She has also hit clutch home runs against Oak Park and Crown Point Indiana to lead us to victory. She has been a big contributor to the middle of our lineup.”
PAYTON BURESCH
Buresch, a junior pitcher, went 13-2 with a 0.992 ERA, striking out 140 batters in just 91.2 innings pitched. She also batted .358 with four doubles and 16 RBI.
“Payton had another stellar year,” Havelka said. “She is 46-3 in her high school career and will attend James Madison University when she graduates. Since her freshman year, she has worked hard to develop more pitches that have worked for her.”
ALYSSA CALLANS
Joliet Catholic senior pitcher went 17-5 with 182 strikeouts and a 1.44 ERA. She also batted .400 with 11 doubles, five homers and 37 RBI.
BROOKLYN DALY
Plainfield Central junior pitcher won her third regional title in the circle for the Wildcats. She went 18-7 with a 1.51 ERA with 180 strikeouts, while batting .437 with six doubles, four homers and 22 RBI.
“Brooklyn has been a force for us both on the mound and at the plate,” Plainfield Central coach Anne Campbell said. “Brooklyn is very competitive. She is a dominant pitcher in this area.”
She has verbally committed to attend Drexel University.
EMILY DYBAS
A junior from Lockport, Dybas hit .495 with 15 doubles, five triples, three homers, 36 RBI and 36 runs scored.
“Emily consistently hit in the 5 spot for us all season,” Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec said. “She is the hitter who can split the gap, come up with a RBI, hit for power and led our team in triples. She has a solid glove in the field, playing errorless ball all season for us in both left field and first base.”
HANNAH GAWENDA
Joliet Central senior hit .468 with four doubles, 26 RBI and scored 22 runs.
CAROLYN HETT
Junior from Plainfield North batted .348 with 31 RBI and five homers.
“Her defense is strong and unparalleled at times; she ended the season with a .930 defensive percentage,” North coach Allison Wodziak said. “Carolyn is a leader by example. She sets high expectations for herself and demonstrates to her teammates that she will not be satisfied until she has done her best for the team.”
ANA ILIOPOULOS
Sophomore from Maine East hit .395 with four doubles, four triples, 23 RBI and 23 runs.
HANNAH KALNICKY
Batted .404 on the season with seven doubles, four triples and four home runs for Plainfield East. She had 24 RBI as a leadoff hitter and 30 runs scored.
“She has been an extremely clutch player for us and a team leader,” East coach Chris Morris said. “She was great at shortstop defensively.”
ERICA KRAUSE
Lisle’s catcher hit .478 with nine doubles, six triples, 21 RBI and 34 runs scored.
“Erica was a crucial part to the success we had this season,” Lisle coach Trent Schalk said. “She was a leader on the team.”
ABBEY KRUZEL
Pitcher from Plainfield North, Kruzel had a 1.77 ERA with 127 strikeouts, while batting .314.
“Abbey has been on varsity since her freshmen year,” Wodziak said. “Without Abbey, I do not believe our team would have been as successful as we were this year. She has a leadership and presence about her that is admired by her teammates and coaches alike.”
PEYTON LOESCH
Plainfield East junior batted .420 on the season with a .475 OBP. She had three home runs, 10 doubles and 36 RBI.
“Peyton was our three hitter in our lineup for most of the year,” Morris said. “She was extremely clutch for us in big games and was an awesome teammate. She was someone we always counted on to make big plays and have big at bats.”
MEGAN LOBIANCO
Senior from Downers South had a .450 average with 12 doubles, three triples and six home runs. She drove home 37 runners and scored 51 times.
“She is a very solid shortstop who has made only three errors all season,” Havelka said. “She bats cleanup for us and has delivered many clutch hits in that spot this season. Megan will be attending St. Louis University on an academic and softball scholarship next year.”
GIANNA MAHONEY
Mahoney led Niles West this year with a .398 average to go along with seven doubles, four triples, 18 RBI and 28 runs.
“This was her first year at short so she’s had a lot of learning errors, but she has done a great job there,” West coach Nicole Reynolds said. “This kid always hustles, always works hard, always want to get better, and is always a leader. She’s been the lead offensive kid on our team all season. She leads off for us and more times than not gets on to get things going. Makes some great plays at short and is just an all around great kid. Good on the base paths as well.”
BAILEE MOLL
Senior from Lockport hit .425 with nine doubles, three triples, three homers, 24 RBI and 33 runs scored.
“Bailee is a captain for us this season,” Chovanec said. “Bailee has had great at bats for us sparking many of our rallies. Bailee will be playing ball in college at Santa Fe College in Florida.”
BRITTANY OSBORNE
A sophomore from Romeoville, Osborne hit .429 with eight doubles, three homers and scored 25 runs.
SKYE OSBORNE
The Romeoville senior belted four home runs to go with eight doubles, five triples and a .436 batting average. Also drove home 22 runs.
JACLYN PASAKARNIS
Senior from Downers North hit .494 with nine doubles, 14 RBI and scored 23 runs.
SARA PETERSON
A Plainfield Central junior outfielder, Peterson hit .480 with 10 doubles, five homers, 24 RBI and 28 runs scored. She hit two home runs in the Wildcats’ regional championship win.
“Sara has been our team’s leading hitter for most of the season,” Campbell said. “She is very consistent at the plate, has a great eye. She has great range in the outfield and has made some big catches for us. Sara has verbally committed to play for Indiana State University.”
KATIE POLASKI
Downers North junior second baseman batted .531 with four doubles, three homers, 19 RBI and 34 runs scored.
“Katie has been a three-year starter on varsity,” Landschoot said. “Katie is a Loyola commit who regularly gets on base and sets the trend for the game. Her offensive and defensive abilities are second to none. Katie is a leader both on and off the field. You would be hard pressed to find a better all-around softball player than Katie. Katie is expecting to have yet another phenomenal season next year as she caps off her career as a Trojan.”
KILEY ROBB
Joliet West junior hit .392 with 34 RBI and three home runs.
AMBERLY RODRIGUEZ
Sophomore centerfielder went .395 with 32 runs scored for Plainfield East.
“As great as she was offensively, she was even better defensively,” Morris said. “She did not make a single error the entire season. She made diving catch after diving catch. She made many difficult plays look easy. I think she is the best defensive outfielder not only in our conference, but the area as well. I did not see a better outfielder on our entire schedule.”
SAVANNAH RODRIGUEZ
Pitcher from Downers North went 12-6 with 105 strikeouts and a 1.94 ERA as a sophomore. At the plated she batted .443 with 12 doubles, five homers, 22 RBI and 23 runs scored.
“Savannah is only a sophomore and has a very bright future ahead of her, both at the plate and on the mound,” Landschoot said. “Savannah is more than just a hard-thrower – she gets good movement on her pitches and is great at working the count and exploiting the weakness of each hitter she faces. At the plate, Savannah hits for both power and average in the middle of a strong DGN lineup.”
REILLEY JO SWANSON
Junior from JCA batted .430 with eight doubles, three triples and 36 runs scored.
BIANCA VOZENILEK
Plainfield East junior pitcher went 19-3 with a 1.38 ERA in 157 innings pitched. She struck out 220 batters. At the plate she belted five homers.
“In her three losses, she only gave up four earned runs,” Morris said. “I believe she was the best pitcher in the area this season. She was a huge part of our success.”