Anaysa Salmon spent her freshman softball season at Oak Lawn on the JV team.
After an injury to Kasey Jackson late in the year, Salmon was called-up to varsity and made the most of that opportunity.
“I wasn’t really expecting it because it was already towards the end of the season, but then I did get called up and I got playing time and I actually did really good,” Salmon said.
Now a sophomore, she is hitting well over .400 and has been mainstay for the Spartans.
“She’s solid,” Oak Lawn coach Shawn Neubauer said. “We brought her up late last year because we had an injury and she’s stepping into that leadoff role, which is pretty tough to do at the varsity level.”
Salmon went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in a 5-3 Oak Lawn loss to Tinley Park on April 9.
Despite being one of the younger Spartans, she wants to make the team better. So Salmon gives whatever insight and advice when she can to her teammates.
“Seeing the pitcher first and understanding how she pitches, I’m then able to tell my teammates how she pitches,” she said.
Junior catcher Aubrey Anderson and freshman outfielder Evelyn Strelow each walked and scored on Salmon’s seventh-inning double.
This year, Salmon is one of many key players for the Spartan youth movement.
“No seniors,” Neubauer said. “We felt confident in the beginning of the year when we were watching them at tryouts and even in the offseason. We brought them up knowing that they could be varsity players.”
Having no seniors has been no problem, though. The juniors have helped guide those young Spartans in key moments.
“They are great. They are great people to look up to,” Salmon said. “If I make an error, they are quick to tell me to keep my head up and I’ll be fine just and that I will make it to next time.”
Despite the result, Neubauer liked the way the Spartans kept fighting against Tinley.
“One of our goals is just to compete every game,” Neubauer said.”Not to give up, don’t get down and just keep fighting and competing no matter what.”
“In the beginning and towards the end we need to have a lot of more energy,” Salmon said. “I think we had a lot of energy towards the end, but not from the start.”
Salmon started at third for the Spartans against Tinley Park, and she also pitches.
“And then she could play outfield,” Neubauer said. “She’s really a utility player. She could play anywhere, honestly.”
Right now, Salmon has a well-rounded arsenal of pitches and an impressive sub-3.00 earned run average. But she’s not done expanding her repertoire.
“I’d like to learn the screwball,” Salmon said.