Elena Kagan played Chicago-style 16-inch softball at U of Chicago.

A Chicago Sun-Times exclusive look at Elena Kagan, who President Obama on Monday will nominate for a seat on the Supreme Court. She’s a slugger. While at the University of Chicago Law School, Kagan played on a 16-inch softball team. Playing 16-inch softball is as Chicago as deep dish pizza. Fielders do not wear gloves and the “Clincher,” before it turns to mush is a finger breaker. My Chicago Sun-Times colleague Abdon Pallasch passed along the photos below of Kagan at bat; they come from University of Chicago Law School student and staff directories.

Elena Kagan softball photo from University of Chicago Law School, 1994-95 directory of faculty and students

Elena Kagan, upper left, softball photo from University of Chicago Law School, 1993-94, school directory of faculty and students.

The man pitching to Kagan was the then Dean of Students, Richard Badger. Professor Richard Epstein in the bottom right picture.