Hobart junior Aurora Ciesielski plays a variety of positions. But she appreciates that she’s simply able to play softball at all.
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Ciesielski suffered a torn labrum during travel ball in July 2023. The shoulder injury required surgery and sidelined her for six months. She said she wasn’t 100% for about a year, which affected her freshman season with the Brickies.
“That set me back a little bit,” Ciesielski said. “Being out that long, it made me realize that I took softball for granted a lot. I put in a lot of work. I was hitting in my backyard four or five times a week just to get back to how I used to be.
“That was a big eye-opener that you can’t take it for granted. This isn’t forever, so when you’re on the field, soak in every moment of it.”
Several weeks into the season, however, Ciesielski suffered a season-ending concussion.
“Freshman year was rough,” she said. “But it motivated me even more. That encouraged me to be a better teammate. At the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s about the whole team, and just being able to watch from the dugout, it really put a new perspective into my brain. It’s just good to be a good teammate.”
Junior catcher Alexis Turley can attest that Ciesielski, who plays all over the field, is living up to that ideal. They’re also travel teammates.
“She brings a lot of energy to practice,” Turley said. “She can make it fun while also putting in work and being intense.
“Aurora’s a great leader. She’s going to play a big role for us this year. I’m excited for her. … She’s a good pitcher. She’s a good hitter. She can do it all.”
Ciesielski demonstrated that ability last season, when she led Hobart with a .456 batting average, four home runs, 24 RBIs, 35 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. She also pitched the second-most innings on the team.
In the early stages of this season, including a spring break trip to Tennessee that was productive for the Brickies (1-3) on and off the field, she’s hitting .400 with a homer, three RBIs, five runs scored and a stolen base, and she’s pacing the team in innings pitched.
Second-year Hobart coach Josh Coons has seen the strides Ciesielski has made.
“Between the end of last year and this season, Aurora hit the weight room incredibly hard, and we’re starting to see it not only just in the way she plays, but in the measurables,” Coons said. “Her fastball is probably up 4 to 5 miles an hour this year from last year. Her exit velocity is probably up 7 to 8 miles an hour this year from last year.
“She’s hitting the ball harder, she’s throwing the ball harder, just generally more athletic. It’s a testament to the hard work she put in in the offseason.”
Coons has high expectations for Ciesielski.
“She’ll do it all this year,” he said. “She’ll play some corner outfield. She’ll play some second base. She’ll probably DP quite a bit just attempting to keep her in a bubble a little bit because she’s going to be such a big part of our pitching staff this year.
“So if you don’t see her on the field, it’s not because she’s not capable. It’s just because I’m a little bit cautious. I don’t want her to go deep and dive for a ball and land on that shoulder again. I don’t want to risk the biggest part of her game for a smaller part. As a two-way player, hitting and pitching are the things she’s going to do that’s most valuable to our team. If we can protect her and keep her in those two roles, it’ll be big for us.”
Ciesielski has big aspirations for the Brickies. She hopes they can contend in the always tough Northwest Crossroads Conference and the Class 4A Valparaiso Sectional. In 2024, Hobart won its first sectional title since 2016 and second since 1988, sparked by star Keirys Click, who is a sophomore at Illinois.
“My freshman year, our seniors were such strong leaders,” Ciesielski said. “Keirys Click was probably my biggest mentor. She took me under her wing, and she’s probably one of my biggest role models in softball. We want to be how great they were to us.
“The seniors’ message to us this year was to have fun, don’t put so much pressure on ourselves, and focus a lot on the classroom and not just dedicate everything to softball because it’s not going to last forever.”
Still, when the time comes, Ciesielski should have a chance to play college softball.
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“She’s being a little humble,” Coons said. “She’s going to have opportunities if she wants them. She’ll be able to pursue that as an avenue, probably as a scholarship athlete, if she wants to do it.
“It’s just a matter of if it’s going to be the right fit, if the school has what she wants to study. But she’s being a little bit humble. She’s going to have the opportunity.”