Sophomore shortstop Emmy Jansma has rare ability, according to first-year Illiana Christian coach Mark Porter.
After almost a quarter-century of coaching experience, Porter thinks Jansma is particularly “gifted.”
“I’ve coached a lot of really good shortstops in my career, and I think this one is going to be the best one yet,” Porter said. “I really do. I really do. The reason I say that, she has a special knack for the game. She’s smart on the field. She’s coachable. She never backs away from coaching, whether it’s just adjustments or advice or whatever it is. She has those intangibles on the field that you just can’t teach. You just have them.
“She’s ready every play. She never takes a play off. It’s amazing to watch her in progress.”
Jansma is hitting .412 with three RBIs and five runs scored for the Vikings (4-1, 1-0), who have won at least a share of the Greater South Shore Conference title in each of their first four seasons as members.
But Jansma holds herself to a high standard.
“I’m doing well in the field,” she said. “I’d like to do better batting, but I’m doing really well in the field. I like to encourage others and build each other up. It’s not a one-person game. It’s a team effort, obviously.”
Jansma contributed to the team at second base as a freshman, hitting .415 with 21 RBIs, 22 runs scored and five stolen bases. It was a bit of an adjustment for her.
“It was definitely scary to come in as a freshman, not knowing high school,” she said. “But it was good. The girls were definitely welcoming to me. They really taught me what it was to be a leader and to be more vocal and to get comfortable with what you’re not comfortable with. They really pushed me last year, so this year I’ve been a lot better with communicating and being more of a leader on this team. I’ve gotten more comfortable with talking and communicating on the field.
“It can be hard stepping up as a leader because I’m on the younger side. But we only have a few upperclassmen, so it’s appropriate to be stepping up and be louder and more vocal.”
Indeed, Jansma is part of a sizable and talented group of sophomores — the Vikings typically start six — with only one senior and two juniors on the roster.
Jansma also has returned to her more familiar position at short. She’s playing alongside sophomore Olivia Daliege, a longtime friend and teammate who spent last season in center field before returning to her more familiar spot at second.
“I’ve always played short in years prior,” Jansma said. “Second was out of my comfort zone, but it was good for me. It taught me how to be an all-around player. It was good just having a spot as a freshman.”
Jansma continues an Illiana Christian tradition of top shortstops that includes Amanda DeBoer, a senior at Purdue Northwest; Maya Wondaal, a sophomore at DePaul; and Lydia VanderWoude, a freshman at Belmont.
“She’s in the line of some of the shortstops that have come through here,” Porter said of Jansma. “It’s like a pedigree here. They’ve all taken their opportunities. Emmy played second base last year, so she’s able to come in and play shortstop now for three years, which is huge. The other ones kind of had to bide their time to get that opportunity to play shortstop, take it over for a year or two. But now she’s able to take it over for three years, and it’s nice with her and Daliege in the middle.
“They’re very good players. They’re very experienced, and they work very well together. They play on the same travel team, so they get a lot of reps there together too. Having them up the middle for three years, it keeps you strong.”
Daliege noted the strength of Jansma’s all-around game.
“She does really good in the field and at the plate,” Daliege said. “It’s easy for second and short, we just know each other and how we move. It’s easy to communicate with her.
“She just brings the team up. She’s always happy and energetic.”
Jansma aims to be a beacon for the Vikings, who compete in a Class 3A sectional that includes Hanover Central, the state runner-up last season, as well as Lowell and Kankakee Valley.
“As a middle infielder, I have to lead in the field and be loud,” Jansma said. “It’s such an art to playing there, and I love getting pushed every day to get better in the field. I’m also the third hitter consistently, so I have to lead in that too — get on and score early. I have to be an example.
“I just love to see us grow as a team. I like that we’re a very loud team. We communicate very well. We’re always cheering each other on and being positive to each other. There’s no negative energy in the dugout. We’re always positive and happy with each other. We compete as a team, and we have each other’s backs all the time. A mistake is not going to make or break a game.”
Jansma also played basketball as a freshman but decided not to play this past season.
“There were a lot of open gyms and conditionings for softball that I missed that I wanted to get the work in,” she said.
With Jansma’s work ethic and skill, Porter believes her best is yet to come.
“Big things are on the horizon for her,” he said.
