Lake Central senior Sofia Beals doesn’t much care where she plays.
As long as she does play.
So Beals has taken advantage of her first opportunity to be a full-time starter for the Indians this season.
“I’ve kind of been all over the place,” she said. “It’s all right. Gotta get on the field.”
Beals opened the season at second base. But the Roosevelt recruit has since taken ownership at first base as top-ranked Lake Central (30-2) prepares to play No. 10 Terre Haute North (30-1) in the Class 4A state championship game at Purdue’s Bittinger Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday.
Senior first baseman Kaitlyn Streiler suffered a broken hand on April 18, setting off a chain reaction that included Beals shifting to first.
“I had never seen her play first base the four years, so that was a new position for her,” Lake Central coach Yvette Tovar said. “We practiced her there for like a couple of days before we had to go into the next game, and she’s just flourished in that position.
“She said she would play it, and she took it over for the remainder of the season.”
Indeed, Beals debuted against archrival Crown Point on April 20 and hasn’t looked back. Streiler received full medical clearance the day before the Indians defeated Hobart in regionals and has played, but Beals has continued to line up at first.
“At this point, she’s our first baseman,” Tovar said. “She’s settled in there. She’s the point person at first. It’s the postseason — you’re riding her.”
It’s been quite a ride for Beals. On the junior varsity team, she started at second base as a freshman and at third as a sophomore. On the varsity team last season, she filled more of a utility role, seeing time in both the infield and the outfield.
Beals was recruited as a third baseman, her primary position in travel ball, but she has embraced first base.
“I’ve just stayed there, and it’s actually really helped us as a team,” she said. “Being at first probably helped us more than me being at second.”
Regardless of position, Beals has produced at the plate. She’s batting .341 with 10 of their 71 homers, 32 RBIs and 24 runs scored in 91 at-bats. Her most recent homer was a two-run shot during the Indians’ win against Fort Wayne Carroll in the semistate final on Monday.
“I’ve really tried to simplify my hitting,” Beals said. “I was in a slump for a couple weeks, but Monday, I kind of broke out of it. So just trying to keep it simple, going up to the plate and looking early in the count.”
Beals hit .353 with nine RBIs and 12 runs scored in 34 at-bats last season.
“Last year, I definitely had to work for more of a position,” she said. “I was behind more girls. But that didn’t really set me back.”
It’s a common situation for Lake Central.
“It’s difficult to get in this lineup, and last year she was really competing for positions with those seniors,” Tovar said of Beals. “So it’s really difficult to get in this lineup, and when you do, you have to prove you should be in the lineup, and she’s done everything to prove she should be there.
“It was hard. It was hard last year for her. It’s hard every year for somebody just to come out, break through and play in games. But the potential’s always been there with her, and she’s showed her worth, and she’s just been in there.”
If Tovar’s belief in Beals remained consistent, Beals’ self-confidence increased this season.
“Last year, I definitely felt smaller than I am this year,” Beals said. “I definitely feel more confident this year stepping into the box and stepping onto the field.”
Beals’ influence also extends beyond the field. Senior second baseman MaKayla Van Vossen, a DePaul recruit who returned to that position after playing shortstop earlier in the season, said Beals uplifts teammates.
“Fifi makes everybody smile,” Van Vossen said. “If you’re down, she’s going to be there to pick you up, no matter what. Even if she’s down, she’s always happy. If you’re sad about something, she’s that one person that you can go to to make sure that you’re going to change your mood around and smile.”
Senior shortstop Lexi Iwema, an Indiana recruit who moved from center field earlier in the season, quipped that she and Beals joke about each other’s driving skills.
“She’s so funny,” Iwema said. “She always makes me laugh and relax. She’s just one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. She just brings a great light to the team.
“She’s obviously a great hitter, but she’s an even better person. She’s an amazing softball player, and she’s going to do great in college. It’s just been really fun being with her on this journey that we’re on, being so close and hanging out all the time, being best friends, and then going to play softball together. It’s just been really cool to be with her.”
Iwema elaborated on Beals’ sense of humor.
“She just does stuff that’s funny,” Iwema said. “We have a flag of her face in our dugout. She brings a blanket when we’re traveling of her face on Spider-Man. She’s just so funny. You can’t pinpoint just one thing.
“She says stuff that’s so out of pocket that you just can’t help but laugh, and she’s always smiling. She could just stand there, and I’d probably start laughing.”
Beals has affected Tovar too.
“She’s probably one of the funniest kids in the program,” Tovar said. “She’s crazy. She brings light to the dugout and to the team. She gets her job done when she’s hitting and when she’s fielding. But when she’s in the dugout, when we’re doing things outside the dugout, practice, she keeps it lighthearted, keeps everybody on their toes with some of the things she says. She’s such a great kid.”
Beals moved from Chicago Heights in fifth grade. Her older sister Olivia, a 2024 Lake Central graduate, recently completed her sophomore season at the Milwaukee School of Engineering after having played for the Indians, and her younger sister Mia will be a freshman in the fall.
“I’ll leave, she comes in, so they just never can get enough of us, I guess,” Beals said with a laugh. “There’s always another one. We’re always here.”
With one more victory, Beals can further cement that legacy. Lake Central is seeking its first state title since 2004 in its first appearance in a championship game since 2021.
“I’m very excited, looking forward to Friday,” she said. “We’ve worked really hard all season, taking everything one pitch at a time. We’ll be ready for Friday and be ready for whatever comes our way.”
