Cary-Grove grad Polites garners Horizon League honor

Cary-Grove graduate Eleni Polites can say she has taken quite the journey.

Polites, now a senior on the University of Illinois-Chicago softball team, recently was named the Horizon League player of the week for the period March 9-15.

Polites' collegiate career, one could say, has come almost full circle. In talking with former Northern Illinois Lightning travel ball teammate and Marengo graduate Lindsay Melson, Polites became intrigued with UIC's program.

"I called the coach and said I was very interested," Polites said. "It was so late in the recruiting process though. They didn't have any money, but the coach offered me the opportunity to practice with the team and see if I fit in. I guess she liked me and saw a lot of potential. She helped me a lot to develop over the years."

Polites, who says she now receives athletic scholarship money, notes her role with the team has been a multiyear work in progress.

"Sophomore year I had a pretty good understanding of what was going on. I was playing behind a senior who was batting around .500 and she was so good in right field," she said. "The coaches were open and honest with me about sophomore year. I had a year to grow. I embraced that and learned as much as I could. Junior year I knew I had to come back with some different things. I didn't perform like I wanted to last year. That made me push myself even harder so I could be ready to play senior year."

In earning the player of the week honor, Polites batted .538 with a .769 slugging percentage at the UCF Spring Fling Tournament in Orlando and earned all-tournament honors. In the tournament, Polites had 7 hits and had a pair of 3-for-4 performances against Fairfield and Monmouth. She racked up 10 total bases after hitting her first career double and triple against James Madison and Monmouth, respectively.

"Eleni was a spark for us," UIC coach Michelle Venturella said. "She came into the weekend looking for her opportunities and capitalized on every one."

Polites also has been well aware of the time left in her college career.

"I accepted a bigger role on the team as a senior and a leader," she said. "I put in a lot of time in the off-season and the summer to get better. Our coaches do a good job. They told me I had to come out and be a big spark for the team. I have tried to embrace that role."

Polites, a slap hitter, has taken a somewhat different approach at the plate this season.

"I'm working a little more with my hitting," she said. "I'm trying to be a little more aggressive and be on the attack and try to keep the tempo high."

Polites added the Central Florida tournament was exactly what the proverbial doctor ordered.

"It was a lot of fun and it was a big confidence booster for me," she said. "Our team has a lot more confidence now. Everything is working out right for us."

Polites is studying kinesiology and is hoping to gain admittance into UIC's graduate occupational therapy school.

"I think I read somewhere 500 people apply for the school and only 30 get in," she says. "It's a little nerve-racking, but it's definitely exciting to see where this will take me."

But in the here and now, Polites is enjoying the college softball life.

"It's nice to finally get confirmation with how I am performing that I really do belong here," she said.

Through Wednesday, Polites was hitting .400 with 14 hits in 35 at-bats for UIC. She had 4 runs scored and 2 RBI and was 3 of 4 in stolen-base attempts and had not made an error in 14 chances. UIC was 8-10 overall through its first 18 games.

Buddle at James Madison: South Elgin graduate Alyssa Buddle is a freshman catcher on the James Madison University softball team that sported a 19-6 record through its first 25 games.

Buddle, through Wednesday, was hitting .280 in 14 games (12 starts) with 7 hits in 25 at-bats. Included in that 7-hit total was 1 double and 2 homers to go with 8 RBI and a .560 slugging percentage. In a recent 9-1 win over Virginia in Game 1 of a doubleheader, Buddle had 1 RBI. She also walked once in the team's 10-2 win in the nightcap.

Locals at Cardinal Stritch: A pair of former prep softball standouts are making contributions on the Cardinal Stritch University softball team.

Bartlett product Tori Burke is 7-0 on the year with a 0.86 ERA in 9 appearances (7 starts). She has 6 complete games and already has thrown 4 shutouts. In 49 innings of work, Burke has given up 38 hits and has 58 strikeouts against only 9 walks. Opponents are hitting .208 against her in 183 at-bats.

In a recent 5-0 win over Culver-Stockton, Burke pitched 7 innings and scattered 7 hits while striking out seven against only 1 walk. Burke is a junior pitcher.

Former high school teammate Rachel Odolski has played in 18 games this season for Stritch and has 7 hits in 31 at-bats to go with 6 runs scored and 4 RBI. Odolski is a sophomore outfielder.

Bolin at Culver Stockton: South Elgin alum Sammie Bolin is getting it done as a pitcher and hitter for the Culver Stockton softball team.

In Game 1 of a doubleheader against Hannibal-LaGrange, Bolin went 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI and also threw a complete-game 9-hitter on the mound.

She followed that up with a 3-for-5 performance with a double, homer and 3 RBI.

At the plate, Bolin was hitting .481 through the team's first 8 games. She was 13-for-27 with 8 runs scored, 6 doubles, 3 homers and 12 RBI. Of her 13 hits, 9 went for extra bases.

McShane at Valpo: St. Edward alum Tarah McShane is a senior infielder-catcher on the Valparaiso University softball team.

Through the team's first 20 games, McShane was hitting .356 with 21 hits in 59 at-bats. She had 5 doubles, 3 homers and 19 RBI to go with 9 runs scored. McShane was slugging .593 and had a .412 on-base percentage and had made only 2 errors in 123 chances in the field. Valparaiso was 6-14 to start the season.

Zierke at Murray State: Bartlett graduate Kaylyn Zierke is now a member of the Murray State University softball team. After Temple's program shut down, she transferred to Murray. Through Thursday, Zierke was hitting .313 with 5 hits in 16 at-bats and had 4 RBI. Murray State was 13-9 through its first 22 games.

Off at College wants your help: Send information and/or statistics on Fox Valley area athletes playing collegiately to Mike Miazga at mjm890@gmail.com.