Benet softball star Sophie Rosner doesn’t remember all the details of her first ride in an airplane.
The experience definitely left an impression, however.
“It was probably to Florida on vacation when I was like 5 or 6,” Rosner said. “It was awesome.”
It sparked a passion for aviation that was no flight of fancy.
“I love traveling and seeing parts of the world I’ve never seen before,” Rosner said. “Just being up there, it’s like people on your plane are going home or they’re going somewhere they’ve had a plan to for a long time. It’s just always been happiness.”
Some people are happy flying in a plane, but Rosner wants to actually fly the plane. At an age when children learn addition and subtraction, she began dreaming of being a pilot. She always insists on having a window seat.
“Ever since I was little and I first flew on a plane, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Rosner said. “It’s been at least 10 years that I’ve known that.”
Flying might be the only thing Rosner loves more than playing softball, which is why she thinks she got the best of both worlds when she committed to Omaha. The Mavericks went 40-13 last season and have qualified for the past three NCAA Tournaments, and the university has a highly rated aviation program.
“Omaha was the perfect option for me,” Rosner said. “I’m starting to work on getting my private license before I get to college, and that will save me a year at Omaha. Then I’ll do four years of flight training there.”
But first will come the final two seasons of Rosner’s high school career. The junior pitcher/utility is intent on helping the Redwings (2-2) soar.
“I’m just trying to prepare for college and get better every year,” she said. “I’m working hard always on and off the field, no matter where my team needs me to play.”
The Redwings have utilized Rosner in many ways. She was their best pitcher and best hitter last season, when she went 8-7 with a 1.47 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings and batted .442 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 32 RBIs. When she wasn’t pitching, she played third base and both corner outfield spots.
Omaha plans to utilize Rosner as a position player, not as a pitcher.
“When she told me she didn’t commit to be a pitcher, I kind of had in my head, ‘Oh, we’ve got to find another spot for her,’” Benet coach Janet Royal said. “But she said, ‘No, I’m going to still pitch.’”
But that allows Royal to spread the pitching workload. Senior Olivia Opalacz, a Wisconsin-Stout commit, and sophomore Noel Klody will also get innings.
“The best part about Sophie is when she’s not on the mound, she’s important in our infield, she’s important in our outfield, she’s important in our lineup,” Royal said. “Right now, we’re honestly just trying to figure out what’s the best spot for her.
“But that’s a good problem to have. It’s so nice to be able to have such a versatile player and be able to put her anywhere we need her.”
Royal knows she can count on Rosner. But she wasn’t aware of Rosner’s career choice until a reporter asked her about it.
“She’s never talked about it at practice,” Royal said. “It’s always softball.”
Rosner’s mother, Jill, played volleyball at Benedictine, and her father, John, played baseball at Illinois-Chicago. Rosner’s twin sister, Lanie, is Benet’s catcher and has committed to Southern Illinois.
“I come from a very athletic family,” Rosner said. “But my dad taught me everything (about softball).”
Yet Rosner will be the family’s first pilot.
“I think it’s insane that she’s known what she wants to do for a lot longer than I have,” Lanie Rosner said. “I’ve changed my mind so many times.
“It’s kind of cool to look up to someone who knows what they want to do with their life. The fact that she actually put it together and she made a career for herself out of it I find pretty cool.”
Sophie Rosner got in the cockpit for the first time in March 2025. She and a flight instructor flew from Clow International Airport in Bolingbrook in a two-seat Cessna.
“We flew to Morris and back,” she said. “‘We were up in the air for maybe 25 to 30 minutes. It was so fun.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
