When Andrew senior Ana Cisek took over at shortstop this season, she did so with a take-charge attitude. Freshman pitcher PJ Gorajski can attest to that.
During Monday’s game against Providence, Gorajski was zoned in on a pop-up to the circle. She was glove up with hand waving when Cisek shouted her off.
Gorajski flinched and ducked out of the way like Cisek was an incoming meteor.
“I was ready to get the ball,” Gorajski said. “Then I heard, ‘Mine,’ and I thought it would be better to let it be hers.”
Cisek is aggressive with a purpose.
“Shortstop is a very commanding position,” Cisek said. “My pet peeve is when a ball is popped up and the pitcher doesn’t get to it because of a miscommunication.
“I pride myself on my defense. I make sure there’s no miscommunication.”
Cisek, a Penn commit, has been in charge with her voice, her glove and her bat to help the young Thunderbolts (4-4) produce a promising start.
On offense, she’s hitting .423 with seven runs, three doubles and eight RBIs. So far, she hasn’t made an error at shortstop.
Last season, Cisek started at second base. Shortstop is her natural position, but it was filled during the past few springs by current Texas freshman MaTaia Lawson.
“That’s just what was best for the team,” Cisek said. “We got it done and had some pretty successful seasons up the middle.”
As a keystone combo, they scored a high grade from Andrew coach Alyssa Gunther.
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“I always would say that we had the best middle infield in the state,” Gunther said. “It was so fun to watch them turn double plays together.
“They could get flashy with it. They could do the glove flips. They could do the barehand catch and throw. It was so fun.”
Cisek brought more than a glove with her to short.
“I view her as another coach on the field,” Gunther said. “We’re very blessed that we have a player who can direct her teammates and help shift them during the games.”
Softball isn’t the only sport that Cisek has made an indelible imprint. As she heads to Penn to play softball, she’ll leave Andrew with the all-time girls basketball single-season record for 3-pointers.
“I didn’t expect that,” Cisek said. “I was just trying to ball out the last few years. Basketball is a good break and something different than softball that I can work toward and have some fun with.”
Playing basketball in college, however, would have been too tall of an order for the 5-foot-6 Cisek.
“Yeah … I’m short,” she said. “I don’t have the height advantage. But I also chose softball because my coaches really believe in me and said I would have an opportunity to play at a pretty high level. I bought into that, and saw myself performing on a national stage. I thought, ‘This is for me.’
“Softball is a lot of fun. I do try to enjoy myself out there. I have a fun two-out sign with (Gianna) Spano out in center, and I enjoy just playing around with the pitcher in the circle. That’s why we’re playing it. Because it’s fun.”
Spano, a junior, went to several of Cisek’s basketball games. Her greatest view, however, is from center field.
“Ana is so talkative,” Spano said. “She makes sure everyone shakes off a mistake if they make an error. She’s always into the game.”
And not just at shortstop.
“Even at pasta parties,” Spano said, laughing. “At pasta parties we play a bunch of games and Ana is competitive in all of them.
“She wants to win.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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