Reavis senior Zoe Zasada has a pretty simple thought process when she goes up to the plate to hit.
The pitcher can’t strike her out if the count doesn’t reach strike two.
“I guess I just like to hit the ball,” Zasada said. “I usually swing at the first pitch because it’s the best one.
“One of the most important things to me is getting on base and doing my part to help the team 100%, so I go up there swinging.”
The St. Norbert recruit doesn’t miss often.
Last season, Zasada struck out just one time in 49 plate appearances. She batted .477 with 13 runs and 11 RBIs.
So far this spring, Zasada is batting .533 with two triples and six RBIs along with a slugging percentage of .870 and no strikeouts for the Rams (3-3).
Reavis coach Meg Madera loves Zasada’s aggressive approach from the second spot in the batting order.
“She doesn’t make mental mistakes up there,” Madera said. “Zoe just has really good hand-eye coordination. And she’s a contact hitter.
“She’ll still lay off of high or low pitches, but when the ball is in the zone, she’s thinking that she’s going to swing every time. She’s ready with the bat and putting a good, short swing on it.”
Zasada is equally aggressive in left field.
“She goes all out and gives everything she has on every play,” Madera said. “She’s already made a couple of diving catches down the line. She’ll dive into the fence if she has to.
“Sometimes we have to remind her, ‘Zoe, there are other people on the field.’ She just wants to go get it. But that’s her dad. That’s how she was raised and taught.”
Zoe, who also plays volleyball and basketball, is the daughter of Reavis football and girls basketball coach Tim Zasada.
He’s not at all a fish out of water when it comes to giving her softball tips.
“Oh, no,” Zoe said, laughing. “He actually coached me my first six years of softball, up until sixth grade.
“He knows his stuff. I mean, he got me to where I am today.”
Grand finale: Sandburg senior Charlotte Trunk has her sights set on a nursing career. College sports most likely won’t fit into that schedule.
This winter, she finished her high school basketball career with her best season. It ended with all-conference and all-area honors.
Now, Trunk has a spring in her step as an early season leader for the Eagles (2-1-1). She’s hitting .500 with a triple and three RBIs.
“Honestly, I didn’t really swing a bat until a week before the season,” Trunk said. “At first in practice, I was trying to get back into the hang of things. I think I’m seeing the ball well so far. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
Trunk bats in the third spot in the order. Power? She won’t clear many fences, but she can find them with a line drive to the gap.
“I had two home runs last season … my first home runs ever,” Trunk said, smiling. “I just try not to get down in the count. If I see a first-pitch strike, I’ll try to attack that.”
She not only plays a good game at shortstop, she talks it as well.
“At shortstop, she has the range,” Sandburg coach Lauren Meister said. “She’s very vocal, so she’s a leader just by example and with her voice. All the girls look up to her.
“She’s just super athletic. When you get a kid who’s a good team player, you have to use her. She’s doing a really good job.”
Sister act: Joliet Catholic finished second last season in Class 2A with a roster that featured three sets of sisters — freshman twins Madison and Samantha Patrick, junior Phoenix and freshman Wrigley Fanter, and senior Charlie and freshman Camryn Kinsella.
This season, freshman Addison Fanter has joined her two sisters not only on the roster but in the starting lineup. All three have started all five games for the Angels (2-3).
Joliet Catholic coach Tina Kinsella bats Wrigley, a third baseman/catcher, near the top of the order. Addison, a first baseman/second baseman, is in the fifth spot. Phoenix, an outfielder/designated hitter, follows in the back of the lineup.
“When I’m writing the A for Addy or the P for Phoenix, it really messes me up,” Kinsella said. “But they each have their own identity and talent. And what a great family too. It’s really good.”
