After countless practices and games, Wauconda’s Lia Taglia thinks there’s another reason she has become a successful hitter.
For the past two years, Taglia and teammate Taylor Koehler, a longtime friend, have worked together on murder mysteries and other puzzles that challenge critical thinking skills.
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“It’s something you have to spend all your focus on or you can miss important clues,” Taglia said. “It helps me get used to keeping my focus, whether I’m in math class or stepping up to the plate. It’s kind of like a muscle memory for my brain.”
Through eight games this season, the junior second baseman is hitting .560 with four doubles, a triple, a home run, nine RBIs, 15 runs and six stolen bases. She hit .403 last year.
“Last year she had some big hits for us, just like this year,” Wauconda coach Tim Orisek said. “She’s somebody I can rely on, and her teammates can rely on her. She’s got quite a bit of experience against high-level competition, so you could see she’s developed a clutch gene. She’s a very consistent player.”
Taglia credits her extensive experience playing travel and high school softball for helping her maintain her focus at key moments.
“This season I do have a lot of hits in high-pressure situations,” she said. “I tend to get into long counts and foul off to stay alive. I know I have a duty, and I never want to let my teammates down.
“I lose every thought in my head, especially with two strikes. My only focus is seeing that ball all the way in and deciding if I’m going to swing or watch that pitch.”
Taglia started the season on fire, recording five hits in her first six at-bats, including a three-run home run in a 17-7 win against Vernon Hills on March 21.
A right-handed leadoff hitter, Taglia has been instrumental at the top of the lineup for the Bulldogs (5-3), who hope to contend for the Class 3A state championship.
Koehler, a senior first baseman and Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit, said Taglia’s team mentality is one of the main reasons for her success at the top of the order.
“On the field, she’s always ready to go and giving it her full effort,” Koehler said. “She always has a positive attitude, which makes it easy to play with her.
“Lia’s always aggressive at the plate, and I think that’s what makes her a strong hitter. She has an amazing eye for the zone, and she’s a dual threat where she can hit for power and bunt at the plate.”
Taglia’s father, Louis, has coached her since 2009, including the past six years for McHenry Elite.
“I can always get better by just asking my dad what I’m doing wrong because I get free lessons,” Taglia said. “We have bonded so much on sports my entire life, which has given us an unbreakable bond. … He has a great knowledge for the game, and I don’t like disappointing him after all the work he’s done for me.”
Louis Taglia, a Wauconda graduate who starred in baseball and football, said she owes her athleticism to her mother, Kerry Olson, who played volleyball, basketball and softball at Grant and volleyball at the College of Lake County.
“It’s been awesome coaching her,” Louis Taglia said. “Many of the current girls on the (Wauconda) softball team, I was their first coach. Lia’s such a big team player.
“She used to be my No. 3 hitter, but four years ago, I needed a leadoff hitter. She stole 103 bases in 80 travel games last year. She’s a smart kid and a team player. She will do anything to help the team.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.