Lockport senior Kasey Markusic is really looking forward to continuing her softball career next spring at Pensacola State in Florida.
She has two attractive reasons.
“They’re ranked in the top 10 in the nation among junior colleges,” Markusic said. “I’m excited to see where they go in their playoffs this season.”
The other reason?
“It’s right on the beach,” Markusic said, laughing. “It’s super pretty.”
For now, though, the catcher/first baseman is perfectly content leading Lockport (7-2) to its best start in some time. She’s hitting .500 with two doubles and six RBIs.
Amid the early season success for Lockport are two wins over reigning Class 4A state runner-up Lincoln-Way Central.
On April 7, Markusic went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs as the Porters beat the Knights 10-7.
“The feeling right after we won that game, it was like I was on cloud nine,” Markusic said. “We just ran up to each other and jumped up and down.
“It was the best feeling ever to beat them twice because last year they beat us in our sectional championship game.”
Markusic wasn’t on the field for Lockport in that playoff loss.
In May 2021, she suffered a season-ending injury in a game against Sandburg.
“There was a play where there was a throw home,” Markusic said. “I got it, and when a runner was going from second to third, I tried to throw the ball as hard as I could.
“I felt like I threw my arm out.”
There were issues with her shoulder, but none that required surgery. Markusic did need three months of rehab, however, before she returned to the field in the summer.
This spring, Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec has been penciling Markusic into the Nos. 3 and 4 spots in the batting order and playing her at first base.
“She worked really hard in the offseason to just be in better shape coming in,” Chovanec said. “She focused on a lot on her hitting and getting healthy, and I think it really paid off.
“Kasey’s a great leader. She’s always the one who is there first and the last to leave. And it’s always, ‘Whatever you say, coach.'”
And she’s versatile, too.
“Kasey is an agile kid who can really be whatever you need her to be,” Chovanec said. “It’s just fun to have that.”
Ramping up: Oak Forest pitcher Hailey Wesner is really bringing it these days.
The junior right-hander was consistently clocked last season around 50 mph. More recent numbers have her in the mid-50s.
It’s not a fluke.
“I’ve been hitting the gym,” Wesner said. “I’ve been practicing a lot more, really trying to get better. And it’s starting to show.”
And how.
Wesner had a day to remember on April 5, firing a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts in a 1-0 victory over Evergreen Park. The day before, the Mustangs scored 15 runs against Lemont.
“I saw that,” Wesner said. “I didn’t expect to do what I did against them. I was just throwing the ball in there. My goal was to go out there, hit my spots and let my defense do the rest.
“But I was having a really good day. I’ve been working on my spin and location and it was really working against Evergreen Park.”
For the season, Wesner (4-2) has 47 strikeouts in 35 innings with a 0.60 ERA.
Oak Forest coach Nick Fuentes calls her “a softball kid” who is dedicated to elevating her skills.
“She puts the work in,” Fuentes said. “Last season, she was a kid who would get three or four strikeouts and put the ball in play.
“This year, she’s getting a lot more swings and misses. She worked on her craft, and her pitch selection is much better. She’s a kid who goes out there and does her job. And she’s finding success.”
Take and run: In 2021, Sofia Biesterfeld broke Illinois Lutheran’s single-season record with five home runs.
Apparently, word got around. Lately, the senior first baseman/outfielder hasn’t been seeing as many good pitches.
Biesterfeld is still hitting .488 with two triples. But her trips to first base have increased via seven walks.
“She’s being real patient up there,” Illinois Lutheran coach David Kenyon said. “And she’s making them pay because she has eight stolen bases.
“Even though she’s a power hitter, we also have some power behind her. I like having her speed up top. If they’re going to pitch around her, we’ll get her moving on the bases.”