Matsumoto meets her match at Charleston Southern

For as long as she can remember, Mandi Matsumoto has watched Division I softball on television.

One day, she may be playing on a TV game of the week.

“I knew I wanted to continue to play softball in college,” said the Fremd center fielder. “It’s a huge honor for me and I hope I make everyone who has helped me proud.”

Matsumoto will help the Charleston Southern University softball team in two years.

That is the Division I South Carolina school to which the junior leadoff batter has made her verbal commitment.

“I first heard about CSU from my Beverly Bandits Coach, Bill Conroy, who I also am very grateful to,” Matsumoto said. “He told me about them and I went down to South Carolina (Feb. 4) and participated in one of their camps.”

One of the things that grabbed Matsumoto’s attention was the way the program was run.

“It is very similar to Fremd’s,” she said. “The coaching staff has the same philosophies as Fremd’s coaches and that was really important to me. I want to be able to make a smooth transition from high school to college softball and with similar coaching staffs that shouldn’t be hard.”

A National Honor Society student with a 3.5 GPA, Matsumoto plans to major in kinesiology or nursing.

“Both programs are outstanding at SCU,” said Matsumoto, who is also a mentor for a freshman advisory group during her lunch period.

Matsumoto began tee ball at 4 years old and was the only girl on her team for two years. She switched to coach-pitch softball in second grade and hasn’t stopped playing the game since.

“My parents have been a really big part of the player I am today.” said Mandi, whose father Mike played baseball at University High. “The countless hours of driving all over for softball lessons, college camps, practice with my dad, and especially their continuous support has really made me work hard to be the best player I can be. I owe a lot of my success to them.”

One of Matsumoto’s biggest inspirations is her grandfather, who lives in Hawaii.

“His passion for baseball and softball are as big as mine,” Mandi said. “It’s tough not being able to see him but we send him videos of my games and I know that really brightens his day.”

“I also have possibly the best coaching staff in the world. All three of my coaches (head coach Jim Weaver, T.J. Valacak and Christine Vlaming) have always pushed me to my potential and given me the most opportunities to succeed. And my team really inspires me because they all contribute and I have to do my part. My coaches and my team have always supported me in whatever I do on and off the field and without them I’m not sure where I would be today.”

Matsumoto will be in action again on Wednesday when Fremd visits Palatine.

“Mandi has dedicated herself to making herself into a great player,” Weaver said. “She’s really only been slap-hitting for two years, and through hard work, has become one of the best leadoff hitters in the area.”

Softball

Schaumburg third baseman Courtney Raschk has committed to play for the first softball team at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

“I am very excited for Courtney and her future adventure of playing for the first team at Roosevelt University,” said Saxons coach Ellen Stoddard. “I believe Courtney will be a tremendous asset to the team with her great attitude, fast hands, and love for the game.” Raschk is hitting .364 and is tied for the team lead with 9 stolen bases. “I feel that Courtney is not only an amazing person with a big heart, but she truly loves the game of softball,” Stoddard added.

Raschk plans to study elementary education and is excited to play for coach Amanda Scott, a four-time all-American pitcher for Fresno State.

Scott earned a spot on the U.S. National Team from 1997-2000. She won gold at the 1998 World Championships and was an alternate on the gold medal-winning 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.

“I’ve always wanted to play college softball,” Raschk said. “And they have a good education program there.

“Coach Scott is so sweet and I’m really excited to be playing for her.”

Ÿ Mid-Suburban League softball teams will participate in “Strike Out Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Day” on Wednesday.

Fund raisers will be held to help raise money for the cure.

Palatine will host Fremd that day.

Vikings coach Jim Weaver and Pirates coach Jeff Manz are the sons-in-law of longtime area coach Dennis Lynch, who died March 9 after a 10-year battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Hersey will play at Rolling Meadows, where Dennis was a history and business teacher. His youngest daughter, Lindsey Kulak, will throw out the first ball.

Ÿ Carthage junior pitcher Krystina Leazer (Elk Grove) was named College Cofnerence of Illinois and Wisconsin “co-pitcher of the year,” along with Illinois Wesleyan’s Molly McCready. Leazer is 25-5 with a 2.06 ERA, 6.54 strikeouts per seven innings, 1.25 walks per seven innings and .233 opponent batting average.

Hall of famer Gresens

Longtime Hersey softball assistant Carol (Moran) Gresens was inducted into the Resurrection High School Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 1967.

Gresens was an accomplished volleyball and basketball player at the Chicago catholic school that did not have a softball team when she graduated.

Gresens will retire from her job on the security staff at Hersey this year. She coached freshmen and junior varsity softball for 10 years. Her children, Amy and David, are Hersey graduates. Amy played on an IHSA Elite Eight volleyball qualifier for coach Nancy Lill.

Men’s track and field

Iowa junior Jeff Thode (Conant) finished first in the 1,500-meter run with a season best time of 3:46.32 at the Arkansas Invitational on March 31.

North Central sophomore Marlen Hamilton (Hoffman Estates) finished fifth in the 800 run with a personal best of 1:54.58 and North Central sophomore Dionte Hackler (Schaumburg) finished second in the 200 with a personal best time of 22:31 at the Wheaton Twilight on April 14.

Lewis University senior Ross Goers (Hoffman Estates) finished first in the 5,000 run in 15:42 at the Millikin Invitational.

Central Florida’s Precious Ogunleye smashed the school’s freshman shot put record with a third-place finish of 14.86m/48-9 at the Memphis Invitational. Her personal best throw is the best performance by a rookie Knight in five years.

Football

St. Viator senior offensive lineman Sean Carney has committed to play at Augustana. He was a two-time first team All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder was credited with more than 65 pancake blocks over the past two years.

In addition to playing guard, tackle and center, he logged time at defensive tackle. The all-area selection was St. Viator’s team MVP and named ESCC preseason Offensive Lineman of Year by EdgyTim.com.

Carney was selected to play in this year’s Illinois Coaches Association Shrine All-Star game on July 14 at Tucci Stadium in Bloomington, Ill.

Men’s baseball

For the second time since 2006, Oakton (36-15, 11-3) won the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Title. The conference also named the Raiders’ Bill Fratto its Men’s Coach of the Year, the second time he has won the award. Fratto has served as head coach for seven years. During his tenure, he has led the team to an overall record of 249-142.

Women’s volleyball

Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman Kayla Price (Fremd) was one of the two “Newcomers of the Year” for the school’s Golden Panther Awards.

Last fall, Price was named the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association Midwest region Freshman of the Year and Horizon League Volleyball “Newcomer of the Year”.

Women’s golf

Iowa sophomore Karly Grouwinkel (Prospect) completed the Hawkeyes’ scorecard at the Big Ten championships by firing her best round (80) on the third day in French Lick, Ind.

“It has always been my goal to play in the Big Ten meet and to do that as a sophomore really feels great,” said Grouwinkel, who played at Prospect for Jim Hamman, coach of the 2012 Class AA state champs.

Kessel Heat

Summer AAU Tryouts for the Kessel Heat are June 13 to Aug. 3 at the Libertyville Sports Complex from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Falcon Park Recreation Center (Palatine) from June 12 to Aug. 3.

Other summer camps are offered. Check out the website http://www.kesselstraining.com./

There are no cuts at the tryouts.

Ÿ Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com or FAX to (847) 427-1173.