Miami signs Lake Zurich slugger Mattera

Miami University softball has its “Bickel.”

And that should tickle RedHawks fans.

Wednesday was a day for Lake Zurich senior Megan Mattera and the Illinois Chill to chill and celebrate, as several of the travel softball organization's players signed with NCAA Division I universities.

The group included Antioch pitcher Olivia Duehr (Northwestern), who made a verbal commitment last year, and Zion-Benton outfielder Tahla Wade (Texas El Paso).

The Chill was playing in a tournament in Orlando, Fla., last weekend and Miami (Ohio) coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly was in attendance.

Mattera says when she stepped to the plate, “Coach K,” as Mattera calls her, started bragging to fellow Mid-American Conference coaches, “She's my Bickel.”

Then, as if taking her cue, Mattera made like Ball State slugger Audrey Bickel one of the state of Indiana's greatest high school softball home-run hitters of all-time and launched a deep flyball.

The ball easily cleared a temporary fence 205 feet away and according to what people told Mattera one-hopped a fence 100 feet farther back.

No wonder Kovach Schoenly had the following to say on a news release after Mattera signed a national letter of intent with Miami on Wednesday:

“Powerful would be the word I would use to describe Megan. She will help bring more long balls to our offensive lineup. It has been a while since I have seen a kid hit the ball as far as she can hit it.

“Defensively, she possesses a strong glove and versatility.”

The captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County All-Area team after a 2010 season that saw her hit .496 with a school-record 14 home runs and 63 RBI, in addition to winning 21 games and striking out 229 batters, Mattera made a verbal commitment to Miami after taking an unofficial visit to the Oxford, Ohio, campus over the summer.

Mattera met with “Coach K” and her staff, saw the RedHawks' softball complex, sat down with MU academic advisers, talked to two senior softball players and got a tour of the campus.

“It's very pretty,” Mattera said. “The (softball) field is pristine. It's amazing.”

Mattera said Evansville asked to make a visit, and Florida State and Georgia also expressed interest in her, as did Emory University, which she liked a lot.

“When I went to Miami, I felt right being there,” Mattera said. “I pictured myself going to that university and going to class.”

Mattera's summer included helping the Chill win the 18U Gold ASA national qualifier. A varsity player for Lake Zurich since her freshman year, when she made two starts in the circle, she's a two-year starter for coach Michaela Towne's Bears, who've lost extra-inning games each of the last two seasons to Duehr and her Antioch teammates for the North Suburban Conference championship.

Mattera said Miami recruited her to play the corner positions but that she'll also get a chance to pitch and, of course, hit.

She plans to take an official visit to Miami in December and will meet up with her freshman recruiting class. Mattera said “Coach K” calls it the “most talkative class” that she's ever recruited.

Mattera insists she's not the most talkative one.

“Oh, no,” she said with a laugh. “The players I've met, they talk a lot too. They're chatty, more than I am.”

After winning the MAC last spring, the Redhawks are going to Hawaii in 2011.

“Our (incoming freshman) class wants them to push it back a year,” Mattera joked. “I heard the seniors aren't going for that.”

If she keeps hitting long flyballs, another long trip might be in order.