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Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
A plucky Jessica Pleckham goes from bench to leadoff-hitting star for Aurora Central Catholic. ‘Worked her butt off.'
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.'
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
When it comes to clutch hits, Ashley Moore keeps Aurora Central Catholic covered. ‘Know what you're gonna get.'
With the game on the line and your team in need of a big hit, who you gonna call? For Aurora Central Catholic, a team boasting a lineup that's loaded with a handful of good options, the answer is pretty easy — and it's not Ghostbusters. For the Chargers, it's senior first baseman Ashley Moore. 'She's been our steady, No. 1 consistent hitter all three years on the varsity,' ACC coach Mark Pasqualini said. 'It's not just the hits and production. It's everything like keeping total strikeouts down, total contact and having good at-bats. 'Very rarely does she go up there where, if she doesn't hammer the first pitch, she'll run 5-6-7 pitches deep in the count. It's been nice to have one hitter you know what you're gonna get.' Moore has been Ms. Reliable at the plate since settling in on the varsity as a freshman and batting .425 with 34 hits that included her two career home runs. Pasqualini marveled at Moore's consistency Monday as ACC prepared to start an indoor workout in the school's gym. A nonconference home game with Sandwich had been postponed as dropping temperatures and a strong wind sent the wind chill into the low 20s. 'She's generally going to regress to her normal,' Pasqualini said of Moore. 'She's gonna be right around .400, a little above, a little below. We can roll with that. 'It just shows in the stats. She's had 30-plus hits every year, and that's about one hit a game.' It led to an offer from Hannah Tomasko, Waubonsee Community College's first-year coach, that Moore accepted earlier this school year. As a sophomore, Moore hit .367 with 33 hits and earned all-state recognition. She followed that up with a .371 batting average last season on 34 hits, giving her exactly 100 hits for her career. ACC (9-2) has had good luck with weather this spring, getting an area-best 11 games played without making a spring trip to a warm weather locale. Moore's team-high 15 hits for the Chargers from the third spot in the batting order have her batting .385 with four doubles, one triple and eight RBIs. She's driven in 84 runs during her career. She credited good friend and senior teammate Kate Gambro with helping convince her parents to choose ACC. 'She's really the reason I came here,' Moore said. 'I played softball with Kate and her younger sister Abby on a team coached by their mom at like age 7.' Moore lives in Montgomery and attended a grade school in the Yorkville district. Kate Gambro, a Yorkville resident, attended another grade school in the district. Their bond continued to grow through summer softball, however, continuing up to still playing travel for the Wheatland Spikes. With only 17 players in ACC's program, Moore and Gambro were two of the four freshmen who received considerable playing time from Pasqualini, along with four sophomores. 'We have to have her in the lineup,' Pasqualini said. Moore also can handle the designated player role and sees some time in the outfield for the Chargers, giving her coach options with his lineup. 'I've batted her third since she was a sophomore,' Pasqualini said. 'I put her in there and said, 'I'm gonna let you do your thing. I'm never gonna take you out unless you ask me to take you out. I know what I'm getting. I'll ride that out.'' Gambro pointed to her best friend's consistency, remembering a big hit during a 6-4 win in 10 innings at Joliet West. 'I was on second, and I just know she's either gonna get on or get a hit,' Gambro said. 'She hit one to the fence for her second double to score me with the winning run.' And so it goes. 'If she was a big home run hitter, I would think about moving her,' Pasqualini said of Moore's spot in the batting order. 'But her swing is always on and it's line drive, line drive, line drive.'
Chicago Tribune
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Sophomore Preston Morel maintains a persistent approach for Aurora Christian. Spotlight or not. ‘I play loose.'
The sharp glare of the spotlight doesn't bother Aurora Christian's Preston Morel whatsoever. A sophomore infielder/pitcher, the versatile Morel doesn't feel out of place in the big moments. 'I've been dealing with pressure ever since I was a little kid,' Morel said. 'I'm used to it — and that is all the motivation I need. I play loose and I know how to keep my teammates up.' Morel kept the Eagles on the upswing Friday afternoon, coming up with a two-run single that sparked his team to a 9-3 nonconference victory over host Aurora Central Catholic. Junior infielder Nolan Robertson added two hits and drove in a run for Aurora Christian (8-2). Junior starter Zach Zappia (3-0) struck out eight, allowing five hits and a walk in five innings. Junior pitcher Tyler Davis and freshman infielder Leo Corral drove in a run apiece for ACC (8-3). Morel finished 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs. A starting guard in basketball, he had a quick turnaround to the spring season following the Eagles' run to the supersectional in Class 1A. 'I was still practicing in the offseason, but basketball was a long season and I only had a week off between seasons,' Morel said. 'I had a slow start with baseball, but I'm getting used to it.' The 6-foot-2 Morel is hitting .379 with eight runs, three doubles and nine RBIs. He has the size and power to go deep and the athleticism to make plays on the bases or with his smooth fielding. In his only start as a pitcher this spring, Morel struck out eight in four innings March 27 during an 8-3 win over Serena. 'He's a baller,' Aurora Christian coach Andy Zorger said of Morel. 'He comes to play every day. He never lets a strikeout or anything negatively affect him. 'He's not really fazed by anything. He's very versatile defensively and he can play a lot of different positions. He's got a good head on his shoulders.' Robertson said Morel has a disarming quality that allows him to fit into the culture of the team. 'The guy's hilarious and he makes me laugh,' Robertson said. 'He's a competitor. He has fun, but he competes at the same time. 'I could tell last year when he was a freshman that he was going to be up with us. He's just a natural.' He has also emerged from the shadow cast by older brother Cameron, a two-sport star who was the second-leading scorer as the Eagles took fourth place in basketball at state in 2023-24. Their parents were both tennis players in college. 'It was so competitive with the two of us when we were growing up,' Preston said of Cameron, who's now playing basketball at Wisconsin-Platteville. 'We'd fight all the time. 'I miss him not being around. He's really the reason why I started playing both sports. I saw him playing and I wanted to play with him.' Playing at the highest levels in baseball and basketball, Preston is primed for any experience. 'You need such a strong mentality, especially in baseball,' he said. 'The game is all mental. When I pitch or out in the field, it doesn't really matter. You just need that short-term memory. 'You make an error, just forget about it. Scratch it and move on.' Morel deflects the attention and prefers to be part of a larger collective. It's his nature. Even if his talent dictates otherwise. 'I just love hanging out with the guys,' Morel said. 'What I've taken from them and my brother is just the hard work I'm always putting in. 'I feel like I can't go a day without going to hit or something like that.'
Chicago Tribune
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Quiet Charlotte Brummel, recruited as a pitcher, lets bat do talking for Aurora Central Catholic. ‘I do like to hit.'
The strong suit of Aurora Central Catholic senior Charlotte Brummel is definitely her pitching, but the North Central College commit swings a pretty mean bat, too. Brummel actually throws left-handed and hits right-handed. In fact, she brings Teddy Roosevelt to mind for Chargers coach Mark Pasqualini. Speak softly and carry a big stick. 'She's picked up her offense,' Pasqualini said of Brummel. 'She's committed — one of our hardest-working kids. She's just so quiet. She doesn't get all the big attention.' That could change very soon. Brummel, who played first base Saturday afternoon for the Chargers in 11-1 nonconference win over visiting St. Edward, definitely left a mark with her hitting. Her rocket-shot single to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning was misplayed into a three-base error, allowing her to round the bases for the game-ending run. It was the third time Brummel, who also beat out out an infield single and hit a one-hopper triple off the fence in left, scored. It all came in support of winning pitcher Kate Gambro, a Benedictine recruit. The senior righty threw a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk, giving up one unearned run for ACC (4-0). Losing pitcher Alaina Nolan, hurt by several unearned runs, had a hit for the Green Wave (0-1). And for Brummel, that was the big thing. 'I do like to hit,' she said. 'I don't like when I don't get to hit. I work hard at it, so I want to be able to show it off.' That work includes lessons the past three years with John Van Gennep, an instructor with Brummel's GenuWin Reign Fastpitch travel program. 'I like to swing early so my whole mojo, I guess, is trying to figure out where I'm going to get better,' Brummel said. 'I've been trying to stay back on the ball and actually leveling out my swing because I don't get the full extension otherwise. 'I've definitely worked hard at that, and I think all my hits have been good. (NCC coaches) want me to pitch, and I'll have to earn my spot for hitting.' She struggles to explain why she bats from the right side. 'My parents tried to teach me to hit left-handed and they couldn't do it,' Brummel said. 'I write and throw left, but I can't swing from the left. You would think it would be really easy but I can't. 'There are some other things I can do better with my right, too.' In the circle, Brummel provides balance for Pasqualini's talented three-pitcher starting rotation that includes ace Corina Miller, a junior right-hander, and Gambro. 'The movement is different on my pitches, coming from the left side, and can give some batters trouble,' Brummel said. Her lone start, earlier in the week at Newark, provided a fun challenge. Newark coach Jon Wood has been Brummel's travel coach since she started playing with GenuWin Reign. She was matched up against his daughter, Dottie, who is a good friend. 'I've known her since I was 12,' Brummel said. 'I knew I had to pitch well. I was really excited when I saw that I was pitching that game. She pitched great, too. It was a good game.' Brummel struck out six in a three-hit shutout for a 1-0 squeaker. Gambro drove in the lone run. 'Charlotte was outstanding — lights out,' Pasqualini said. 'Every ball was a weak grounder or a lazy pop-up. Everything was moving.' Moving the ball in and out and changing speeds are key for her success, according to Brummel. 'My change-up was going a long way and my screwball, which breaks outside to right-handed hitters, was definitely working that day,' she said. 'I've been working hard over the winter and it showed.' Miller, who finished with an 11-3 record last season, is slated to pitch every other game with Brummel (5-2) and Gambro (7-1) alternating starts. 'We've been lucky these first four games,' Pasqualini said. 'We haven't made a pitching change yet. If one tires out, we'll go to the next one. 'Corina is the workhorse, but Charlotte and Kate are equally talented. It's a good challenge to have, plus they can all play in the field and provide offense.'
