Softball: Barrington's Peterson commits to Northwestern
Barrington's softball program recently announced its 26th player to make a verbal commitment to a Division I college team.
And this one, like the past 25, played for coach Perry Peterson.
However, this one knows coach Peterson better than any of the previous 25.
Kendall, the only child of Jennifer and Perry Peterson, has committed to attend and play on Northwestern's softball team beginning in the fall of 2019.
She has been a two-year starter for Barrington and will head into her junior season in 2018 as an all-area third baseman.
During her time as a Filly, the team has a win-loss record of 65-12 with a 2017 Mid-Suburban League championship, regional championships in 2016 and 2017, sectional championship appearances in 2016 and 2017 and a third-place finish in the 2017 Class 4A state finals.
Peterson's impressive sophomore season included a team-leading .520 Mid-Suburban League batting average with 46 hits, 8 doubles, 1 grand slam, 31 runs, 30 RBI and 14 stolen bases.
She was an Illinois Coaches Association third team all-state selection and becomes the first Barrington High School player in its 49-year history to be Northwestern bound for softball, and only the sixth Filly to play softball in the Big Ten Conference.
"Playing softball at Northwestern has always been a dream of mine," said Kendall, who plans to major in communication studies. "Nothing beats their combination of world class academics mixed with Big Ten athletics."
Peterson's standout sophomore season featured a pair of highlights.
Early in the season, she hit the first pitch in a nonconference game against Lake Zurich over the left field fence for a first-inning grand slam in the semifinals (13-0 win in 5 innings) of the Barrington Spring Fling.
On the final week of the season, Kendall was 6-of-6 defensively at the hot corner, including starting a double play in the first inning, and drove in the team's only run against eventual state champion Oak Park.
Kendall and her Barrington Fillies were recognized nationally by MaxPreps.com as the 51st-ranked high school softball team in America with their 37-4 record this spring.
That record tied the single-season best record in school history - the 2007 team was also 37-4.
Kendall also plays year-round travel softball with the Illinois Chill Gold 16U team. The Chill travels every year to the Premier Girls Fastpitch national championships in Huntington Beach, Calif., and features ten NCAA Division I future college softball players out of the 14-player roster.
"I owe coaches Gerry Quinn and Olivia Duehr (2015 Northwestern softball grad) a huge debt of gratitude," Kendall said. "They have been instrumental in making this opportunity a reality for me."
Northwestern is a traditional power in Big Ten softball.
Head coach Kate Drohan (532-326-1 in 16 seasons) and associate head coach Caryl Drohan are only one of two sets of Big Ten softball coaches (Michigan is the other) to lead their team to the NCAA Division I national championship game in Oklahoma City.
The Wildcats' softball program is nationally known for its strength of schedule and a travel schedule that is second to none.
"I can't wait for the chance to play for coaches Kate and Caryl," Kendall said. "I have attended so many of their camps and learned so much along the way. I am looking forward to my final two seasons at Barrington and the excitement that follows at Northwestern."
Kendall's parents could not be more proud of their daughter.
"Jennifer and I have watched Kendall's dream turned into a tremendous opportunity for her," said Perry Peterson, an IHSA hall of famer and third winningest IHSA softball coach all time with 779 in 26 seasons. "It's been a fun ride since she started the sport at the age of 4 and shared with us early on her goal of being a Division I softball player. The numbers prove it is not easy to attain, but to Kendall's credit, she made it happen."