Peotone junior Sophie Klawitter had a to-do list of things to work on over the offseason, and most of them had to do with pitching.
That makes sense, because she’s a Power Four recruit heading to Louisville to pitch.
“I’ve definitely been working on my spin, obviously continuing that to get better,” Klawitter said after a 9-0 win over St. Anne on April 11. “And then I’ve been working on a down pitch because obviously my rise is my favorite. And then just getting stronger.”
But maybe the part of her game that needed the most work is something else, and it’s relevant to her other main job as the Blue Devils’ leadoff hitter.
“On my travel team I don’t hit ever,” Klawitter said. “I’m really out of practice, to be honest. But I’ve been having a lot of fun trying to (get) back to my old ways.”
So far, so good. Through nine games, Klawitter was batting a team-best .409 with three doubles and five runs scored for the Blue Devils (3-6). She was 2-for-3 with a run against St. Anne, while Caelan Farmer went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Maddie Scheffers finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Payton Schnelle also was 2-for-4.
Klawitter is 3-5 with a 1.35 ERA, three shutouts and a 102-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 52 innings. She struck out 16, walked one and gave up three hits against the Cardinals.
First-year coach Kim Pagliarulo can’t say enough about Klawitter’s impact on the team.
“Her softball IQ, in addition to just who she is as a team player, to be around — it’s infectious,” Pagliarulo said. “She brings the whole program up, just levels it up.”
Klawitter came to softball a little later than some, not playing travel ball till she was 10.
“But I love the game,” she said. “And my parents were really supportive, so it worked out.”
One thing that worked out a little differently than expected was her recruiting.
“I really thought I was gonna go to an Ivy League school,” Klawitter said. “But then I had been talking to Louisville and was really interested, and loved the coaching staff.
“And then I went out for a visit and I was like, ‘Wow, this is it.’
In an age when college coaches are increasingly stocking their rosters via the transfer portal at the expense of high-school prospects, recruiting can be dicey.
Being locked into a school as a junior, as Klawitter is, isn’t the norm. But she wasn’t in a hurry to make a decision.
“I wouldn’t have rushed it,” she said. “I wouldn’t have wanted to just get it over with. I did enjoy my recruiting process, but I will say it’s not for the weak.”
Still, there’s clearly less pressure now.
“It’s definitely amazing to play just the way I know I can and not worry about who’s there, who’s coming,” Klawitter said.