A plucky Jessica Pleckham goes from bench to leadoff-hitting star for Aurora Central Catholic. ‘Worked her butt off.'

Chicago Tribune

22-05-2025

Is Aurora Central Catholic senior Jessica Pleckham having fun yet?
You better believe it.
'Jessica has worked her butt off,' ACC coach Mark Pasqualini said of his right fielder and leadoff hitter who has blossomed this spring. 'It's been a struggle. She's had her ups and her downs.
'Last year, she was behind an all-stater. She had to wait her turn, find the right spot, and I couldn't be happier for her. She worked as hard as she could to put herself in the position she's in.'
That position is someplace special.
Last week, Pleckham was named the GCAC White's player of the year and joined three teammates — senior center fielder Kate Gambro, junior shortstop Morgan Vaghy and junior pitcher Corina Miller — on the all-conference team.
On Wednesday, Pleckham started a six-run rally in the first inning with a leadoff walk and the Chargers made short work of their playoff opener in soggy conditions, topping fifth-seeded Winnebago 15-0 in three-and-a-half innings of a Class 2A Marengo Regional semifinal.
Senior third baseman Madalyn Torrance highlighted the outburst with a grand slam and added a double in the six-run third inning for third-seeded ACC (23-9), which advances to a 4:30 p.m. Friday regional final against second-seeded Marengo (26-9).
'That's kind of how it's been all season,' Pasqualini said. 'I don't know who's gonna have their day. Maddie hits the grand slam, and she hasn't hit a home run in two years.
'It was a good moment for her.'
Gambro added three hits, including two doubles, and senior designated player Ashley Moore had two hits with a double.
It was plenty of support for Miller (16-3), who broke the program record for wins in a season.
'I don't know where it comes from sometimes,' Pasqualini said of the way his team shares the wealth. 'I have the lineup set, then you get (No. 8 hitter) Maddy Torrance with a grand slam.'
The 5-foot-7 Pleckham, a speedy, slap-hitting lefty who throws right-handed, may be the team's prime example this season with her turnaround. She had a rare hitless day, going 0-for-2.
It all began for her as the courtesy runner for Purdue Northwest-bound catcher Olivia Hernandez.
'Freshman year, I didn't see the field very much, but I was OK with that,' Pleckham said. 'I got to pinch run for one of the seniors, Olivia Hernandez.
'There were only 18 players, so we didn't have a JV team until last year. My sophomore year, I began to get on the field more. That was probably my better season.'
Pleckham plays travel ball with the Aurora-based Illinois Hawks, coached by Minooka varsity assistant coach Sydney Singleton. Her twin brother, Brady, plays baseball at Marmion.
'I just love the sport a lot,' Pleckham said. 'I don't know where I'd be without it.'
Last spring, however, she struggled.
'I started playing at the start of the season,' Jessica said. 'I didn't perform exactly the way I needed to, so I didn't see much of the field for the rest of the season, which makes sense.
'It just made me work a lot harder over the summer, fall and next winter.'
That work ethic was fueled when she was 10. Her dad switched her to hitting lefty and slapping.
'He just turned me around and said, 'I don't care how mad you get, you're gonna learn how to do it,'' she said. 'It's a good thing he did. He thought I was fast, and by then, hitting right-handed wasn't going too well for me. It's worked out.'
Has it ever.
Pleckham entered the postseason hitting a team-best .451. She batted a league-best .515 in the GCAC White. In the fall, she committed to play at Trinity Christian in Palos Heights.
'Last year, I got in my head a lot and was really lacking confidence,' Pleckham said. 'This year, I think I stopped caring about what could go wrong and more of what could go right and just started hitting the ball.'