Wauconda senior pitcher Rachel Peat has a great rapport with catchers.
Perhaps that’s because she was supposed to be a catcher, according to her father.
“Pitching has always been something that I gravitated toward, even at a young age when I started softball,” Peat said. “My dad was a catcher when he played baseball and softball. He always wanted me to catch, but I had other plans.”
Peat still relied on her father for advice, and his knowledge of the demanding backstop position helped elevate her game in the circle. Peat started pitching when she was 8 years old and was taking lessons at 10.
“My dad still has the catcher’s mind and is a big part of the reason I wanted to start pitching,” she said. “He has been able to help me see the strategic side of pitching and pitch calling.”
Peat, a Loras recruit, is coming off a stellar junior season, when she was a force on the mound and at the plate. She went 12-6 and hit .348 with 21 RBIs for the Bulldogs (21-6).
Senior catcher Calli Janik, a Mount Mercy recruit, said she’s watched Peat steadily hone her game.
“Watching Rachel grow as a pitcher throughout the years has been very fun,” Janik said. “She’s improved not only physically with how her pitches break but also with her mental game. Rachel has sharpened up the spin on her breaking balls.
“But Rachel’s greatest strength on the mound is always thinking ahead. Many pitchers are often hyperfocused on their success within the strike zone that they have a hard time making a play when the ball is hit to them. Rachel is very aware of her surroundings and the situation at hand when on the mound.”
Wauconda coach Tim Orisek said Peat’s toughness is evident in big games. Her clutch pitching was a key factor in the Bulldogs’ run to a Class 3A sectional final, where they lost 18-11 to Northern Lake Country Conference rival Antioch.
“Rachel shows a lot of grit in the circle,” Orisek said. “In big games, she wants the ball and has come through in those big moments with huge wins for us last year down the stretch. Each year she has gotten better and better in the circle, and I feel she is poised for a great senior season.
“Rachel’s going to give us a lot of innings like last year. As she goes, we go. She has a good defense behind her, so she just has to pound her zones and hit her spots.”
Fourth-year starters Peat, Janik and senior first baseman Taylor Koehler, a Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit, will try to lead the Bulldogs to the state tournament for the first time.
But Antioch returns most of its top players from last season. Wauconda won both regular-season games against the Sequoits before losing in the playoffs.
“We’re extremely motivated to beat them this year,” Koehler said. “Antioch is a great team with great players and is well-coached. We look forward to competing with them this conference and postseason to get to our ultimate goal.”
Peat, who danced for six years until shifting her focus to softball, hopes to be busting out some of her old moves in Peoria in June.
“State is the ultimate end goal, but first we want to focus on winning conference, then regionals and so on into the playoffs,” Peat said. “We know what we’re capable of and know if we play our game like we know we can, we will be successful. This group of girls is so special, and I can’t wait to see where this season takes us.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
