Angelena Mexicano has hit too many home runs to remember them all, but she hasn’t forgotten what happened Feb. 12, 2006, against Wichita State at the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas.
“When I hit my first home run, I thought, ‘This is great. I can do this,'” the Illinois shortstop recalled of the shot that helped the Illini to an 8-7 victory.
Mexicano can be excused for surprising herself. She had gone her entire freshman year without a homer, even though she started all 50 games.
Now, a little more than two years later, she has developed into one of the nation’s leading power hitters as a senior. The 5-foot-4-inch right-handed hitter leads Division I schools with 24 home runs and has set the Big Ten’s single-season record, breaking the mark of 23 that Northwestern’s Garland Cooper set last season.
Mexicano’s 24 homers have her tied for 14th in NCAA single-season history, and her 51 career home runs are the most in the nine-year history of the Illinois program.
Heading into this weekend’s Big Ten tournament at Northwestern, Mexicano has started all 221 of the Illini’s games the last four years.
“She has stayed healthy, and it’s probably because of her commitments to the extras,” Illinois coach Terri Sullivan said. “She’s very committed in the weight room. For her size she’s one of the strongest player on our team.
“In conditioning she has made leaps and bounds. She’s stronger, faster and more durable. She goes hard at everything she does.”
Mexicano split her freshman season between shortstop at second base but has settled in as the Illini’s shortstop.
Mexicano hit 11 home runs as a sophomore and 16 last season. Her father Michael always had coached her simply to swing hard, but before the season he offered a challenge: Hit 20 home runs and you get a new car.
“Hitting home runs was never one of my key goals,” said Mexicano, who is awaiting delivery of a Honda Civic. “Just making contact, getting good at-bats.”
Mexicano struck out 39 times as a sophomore but only 25 times as a senior. That means more good at-bats.
“She sees the ball better and better, uses the whole field hitting,” Sullivan said. “She always has had great bat speed.”
Mexicano also leads the Big Ten in total bases (156) and runs scored (65), is second in RBIs (62) and seventh in hitting (.365).
Like Northwestern’s Cooper and many others, Mexicano is a Californian who moved east to find her place in college softball. She picked Illinois over Cal State-Fullerton and Fresno State after playing at Mt. Pleasant High School in San Jose.
“We have a rule on the team — you don’t talk about the weather,” Sullivan said of recruiting Mexicano. “It’s the same temperature in the classroom.”
Mexicano will play this summer for the National Pro Fastpitch league’s Akron Racers, who drafted her on the third round, No. 17 overall.
Then it will be back to Champaign to finish work on a degree in advertising.
With an overall record of 30-31, Illinois likely has to win the Big Ten tournament to reach the 64-team NCAA tournament field.
“I’m going in with clear mind,” Mexicano said. “It’s a great opportunity.”
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Softball schedule
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Thursday-Saturday at
Northwestern
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
#2 Michigan vs. #7 Mich. St., 2
#1 Northwestern vs. #8 Ohio St., 4:30
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
#3 Iowa vs. #6 Illinois, 9 a.m.
#4 Minnesota vs. #5 Purdue, 11:30 a.m.
SEMIFINALS: Friday, 2
CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, noon
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tabannon@tribune.com
