There’s no telling where you might see Shepard senior Meghan Potenza at the start of a game.
She can play virtually anywhere on the field.
Before too long, however, she’ll let you know where she is with one loud word — “Broo!”
“One of the seniors last year, Lexy Stergiopoulos, she always said ‘Broo!’ after anything that would happen,” Potenza said, smiling. “And then I started saying it.”
Shepard coach Bridget McDermott typed it next to one of the plays on the cards that the Astros wear on their wrists. When she calls it, it’s usually for Potenza.
“It’s a play in the sense where I can see when Meghan is frustrated or like rattled,” McDermott said with a laugh. “I’ll call out ‘850’ and she’ll look at it.”
And be ready to battle.
The Illinois College recruit will be one of the top players to put the “whoa” in Shepard’s offense this season. For the most part on defense, she will play second base.
But she’s good for any spot in the infield and can operate in the outfield, too.
“Freshman year, I played left field and center field,” Potenza said. “Sophomore year, I played third. Junior year, I played second. Playing third is probably my favorite. I love the hot corner.”
She loves to swing the bat as well. It’s what earned her a spot on the varsity when she was a freshman. Last spring, Potenza hit .382 with 24 RBIs and a .462 on-base percentage.
“Meghan is a proven run producer,” McDermott said. “She’s a hard worker, for sure. If I drive by her house, I’ll always see a bow net in the driveway.
“The little girls (twin sisters Emily and Grace) will be praciting or Meghan will be hitting off of a tee. She works just as hard in the classroom, too.”
Potenza has a pretty unique class day.
“I go four periods at Shepard and then I go to Moraine Valley,” Potenza said. “I do the BNAT program, a nursing program to get your CNA certification to help you get experience in the medical field by working at nursing homes, hospitals and physicians offices.”
Potenza has more than enough credits to skip her senior year of high school but…
“I knew if I graduated early I wouldn’t be able to play softball at Shepard,” Potenza said. “I decided I wanted to stay around.”
She will be putting a cap on a very impressive four-year varsity career.
Assistant coach Kelsey Senesac was the head coach when Potenza arrived at Shepard for her freshman season.
“We were looking for someone to fill a consistent offensive position,” Senesac said. “At tryouts, we found someone who was constantly putting the ball in play and was fundamentally sound. That was Meg. We prioritized the offensive part and knew we needed her in our lineup.
“That’s what we first saw in her — the hitting. And she still does that for us, whether it be a little duck snort out to the right side, a walk, a hit by pitch. She’s constantly getting herself on. And she’s very smart on the bases.”
It can be said that she’s a chip off the old block.
“Yeah, my dad (Joe) played baseball since his childhood,” Potenza said. “At one point, he played on an all-star team and apparently he was really good. My dad really wanted me to play softball.
“So one day, I picked up a bat and started swinging, and he said I had a natural swing. We went to a field and started hitting balls. He’s definitely a sporty person who had a major influence on me. He made me who I am in softball today.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
