Tony Baranek’s softball notebook

SHARE Tony Baranek’s softball notebook

Bremen senior Maggie Hayes had a big week April 29 through May 3, going 7-for-15, with three home runs, two stolen bases, four runs and eight RBI. She also had two outfield assists.

It’s not unusual, said Bremen coach Jim Hassel, who has penciled Hayes into his starting lineups for the past four seasons.

Her senior campaign has been stellar.

Entering play Monday, Hayes was batting .435, with six doubles, five homers and 23 RBI.

“Maggie means so much to our team, solidifying our outfield and giving us some pop in the middle of the (order),” Hassel said. “And she has a cannon for an arm.”

Hayes has thrown two runners out at the plate and two more at third during the season.

On the run

Sharing athletes is a way of life at Beecher, where the enrollment is fewer than 400 students.

During Wednesday’s 1-0 victory at Sandburg, Bobcats coach Kevin Hayhurst did some sharing that maybe some coaches wouldn’t.

After the fourth inning, pitcher Sarah Crews and first baseman Katie Howard both left the game and drove back to Beecher, where that evening they were performing in a school concert.

“Sarah is in the choir and Katie is in the band,” Hayhurst said. “At times we have kids who are doing multiple things. We try to share the kids in the school, and they’re free to go if it’s just a regular-season game.

“We can’t have (a lot of) one-sport athletes. We make sure there are two- and three-sport athletes, and that the kids stay involved with things like student council and band. It’s a very good relationship.”

Keeping the faith

In 2012, Marist struggled at the .500 mark during the regular season before catching fire in the playoffs and winning the Class 4A state title.

Sandburg pitcher Sarah Herold is ready to copy that, only this year in Orland Park.

“It’s a different atmosphere when playoffs come around,” she said. “I know for me, and for the majority of the girls on the team, when the playoffs we get so hungry to win. We all want to make it down to East Peoria.

“We have lost a lot of games to some good teams like Lincoln-Way East, Lockport, in the bottom of the innings,” Herold said. “But I know that this team can do it. I know we’re good.”

The Latest
Murder charges have been filed against suspect Christian I. Soto, 22. Investigators haven’t determined a motive for the attacks, but they say Soto had been smoking marijuana before the rampage.
To celebrate the historic coinciding of the emerging of two broods, artists can adopt a cicada for free in exchange for decorating it and displaying it publicly. Others can purchase the cicadas for $75.
Senators tasked with clearing Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s appointments are raising concerns over his renomination of Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau after the Sun-Times last year reported an executive assistant accounted for more than $240,000 in billings.
White Sox fans from all over will flock to Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday for the team’s home opener against the Tigers.