Lightning to open 2010 season Sunday
The Northern Illinois Lightning women's fastpitch softball team will begin its 11th season Sunday when it hosts a round robin tournament at Judson University in Elgin.
Other teams competing will be the Elgin Heat, the Aurora Raiders and the Fox Valley Renegades. Games begin at 10 a.m. with the Lightning playing at 11:30 a.m., 2:45 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The Lightning is coming off a 17-21 season in which it welcomed 10 new players to its roster. The sub-. 500 record was just the second losing season in program history.
Returning to the 2010 roster to lead the team are veterans Jaci Corn of Elgin High, ECC and Judson University, Courtney LaFerle of Larkin and Valparaiso University and Karisa Hansen of Larkin and Aurora University. Corn is entering her seventh season with the team and will play first base again, while LaFerle is in her sixth season with the Lightning and will catch as well as play a variety of other positions again. LaFerle hit .420 with 26 RBI last summer. Hansen is in her fifth season with the Lightning and will play left field again.
Also back from last year's team is pitcher Alex Lagesse, who this spring was named to the Horizon League all-tournament team while pitching for Valparaiso. Lagesse, who played for the Lemont Rockers' 2008 ASA Major national championship 18U team, was 7-6 with a 2.41 ERA for the Lightning last summer.
Lindsay Naumann of Byron High School and Elmhurst College also return to the circle after going 5-6 with a 2.66 ERA last season.
The Lightning also returns Lauren Ott (utility, Mundlein/Butler) and Nikki Schlagel (INF/C, Glenbard East/Benedictine) from last year's squad, as well as Sarah McCleary (Larkin/Iowa Wesleyan), who sat out last summer with a shoulder injury.
Newcomers include Kaitlin Hardie and Megan Hardie of Crystal Lake South, each of whom just completed their freshman seasons at Winona State. Kaitlin Hardie will play middle infield and Megan will see time at first base, third base, behind the plate and in the outfield.
A third Crystal Lake South product, Emily Mahoney, joins the team after completing her freshman year at Dominican University. Mahoney will pitch and play the outfield for the Lightning.
Also new to the team is Sara Brandal (Streamwood/ECC), who comes to the Lightning after seven years with the Illinois Alleycats. Brandal will share time at first base this summer.
The Lightning has also added Sara Strickland to the team. Strickland is from Phoenix, Ariz., and just completed her sophomore season at Valparaiso. She will play center field this summer.
Another new addition is catcher/infielder Penny Perez, who went to Mother McAuley High School and played at Oakton Junior College.
Elissa Wisniewski, who has been with the Lightning for seven years and holds the program record for career pitching wins, will also play part-time again as well as being the manager of the Lightning's 18U Black team. Wisniewski is from Stevenson High School and played at Winona State.
"We're excited to get the season going," said Lightning manager and founder John Radtke. "We've got a good nucleus back and some excellent first-year players and we're looking forward to getting back to our winning ways."
The Lightning has amassed a program record of 259-177 in its 10 seasons and finished third in the USSSA World Series in 2007 and 2008.
The Lightning will also host two tournaments at the Elgin Sports Complex again this summer. The Lightning Summer Bash, a 48-team tournament for 16U, 18U and women's teams, is slated for June 18-20 and the annual 24-team John Radtke Memorial Fastpitch Classic will be held July 10-11. The Radtke Memorial is named for John Radtke, Sr., who passed away in 2004.
For further information on the Lightning, e-mail nothernillinoislightning@gmail.com, call (847) 812-1522, or log onto www.eteamz.com/northernillinoislightning.