Wauconda coach Tim Rennels enjoys watching the first few innings whenever an opponent is unaware of the scouting report on Kayla Wedl.
The Wauconda junior breaks the stereotype of a dominant strikeout pitcher. Not only is Wedl one of the fastest players on the Bulldogs, but she possesses bases-clearing power and overwhelms batters with a devastating four-pitch repertoire.
All on a frame that Rennels describes as “5-foot-8 and between 120 and 125 pounds dripping wet.”
“Kayla is not the typical larger pitcher with big hips,” Rennels said. “She is a small girl. She’s not an imposing presence on the mound. She’s so much stronger than she looks. I think the word is getting out on her to our (future) opponents.”
Wedl slightly disputes Rennels’ description of her stature.
“I would say I’m between 125 and 130 (pounds),” she said. “I think my height is where it should be, but weight-wise and how wide I am, I’m pretty skinny compared to others. I do know umpires have looked at me and asked our catcher how fast I’m throwing because they are surprised.”
Wedl, who orally committed to UIC in October, has been clocked at 64 miles per hour, Rennels said. Her mastery of her main pitches — changeup, curveball, riseball and screwball — makes it difficult for hitters to get a good read on her. She has tossed four no-hitters among her nine shutouts, striking out 292 batters with a 0.57 earned-run average and a 16-7 record.
“She works fast, is efficient and constantly ahead of the count,” Rennels said. “She has four good pitches. She has perfect mechanics and hits her spots time after time.”
Wedl is the rare pitcher capable of helping herself at the plate and on the basepaths. She is batting .530 with eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 100 at-bats. She was 4-for-5 with a double and triple in Monday’s win against Lakes.
Wedl’s versatility allowed Rennels to bat her at leadoff last season, but he kept her mostly at the No.2 or No. 3 spot this season.
“Kayla is on fire, not only as a pitcher but a hitter,” Rennels said. “She’s the finest athlete I’ve coached. She runs with reckless abandon on the bases and puts defenses on edge.”
Wedl said if Wauconda had an indoor track season that she would add the sport to her busy schedule.
“I love sliding,” she said. “I’m used to running because I ran track in middle school. If we had an indoor team, I would definitely do it.”
Behind the solid hitting and pitching from Wedl, the Bulldogs have hit their stride of late following some rough early patches, mostly because of some defense shortcomings.
The Bulldogs (23-10, 11-1 North Suburban Prairie) have won nine in a row entering Thursday’s North Suburban title game against Warren. Wauconda has seven shutouts during its winning streak, with Wedl tossing six.
Wauconda lost to Lake Zurich in the conference title game last season but dropped just one game in the last two seasons in divisional play.
“It’s been an overall team effort all season,” Wedl said. “At the beginning of the season, it was rough. Our fielding has really improved. We’ve worked on it a lot in practice.”
Wedl and her teammates have another goal in mind. The Bulldogs have lost 3-1 to Sterling the last two seasons in a Class 3A supersectional.
“(Sterling) is our least-liked game for all of us returnees,” Wedl said. “We should be ready if we play them again and be able to score some more runs. Those losses have been hard on us.”
