Elk Grove’s Goranson can do it all

Everyone got to watch Dani Goranson pitch and hit Elk Grove to one of its finest seasons in school history.

But there is one thing softball fans don’t get to watch too often from Goranson.

It may be the junior’s greatest strength of all.

Playing the infield.

“We didn’t get to see her play defense much because she is pitching 99 percent of the time,” said Elk Grove’s Ken Grams, an IHSA Hall of Fame coach with 743 career wins. “But she is truly a remarkable defensive player as well.”

Suffice it to say, Michigan State will be getting the complete package when Goranson lands on the East Lansing campus in the fall of 2012.

The Spartans will also be getting the 2011 Daily Herald Cook County honorary captain of its All-Area softball team.

Goranson earned that distinction this spring as she tied the single-season school record for most wins by a pitcher. The record has been held solely by Cindy Sunagel since 1982 when the former Grens assistant coach pitched them to second place in Class AA state tourney.

Goranson finished the season at 29-5 with an 0.81 ERA and 254 strikeouts in 191 innings.

She was equally effective with her bat, leading the Grens at .485 with 5 home runs, 30 RBI and a team-high on-base percentage of. 560.

“Dani is a total player in any part of the game,” Grams said. “Offensively, pitching and she is a remarkable infielder. Dani is the complete softball player.”

Remarkably, she is not the first in her family to be an honorary all-area captain.

Just two years ago, the award went to her sister Nikki, a catcher and first baseman who played for Kankakee Community College the past two seasons.

“My sister was one of the best softball players to go through Elk Grove High School and being put in the same category as her is an honor,” Dani said. “I think it’s a huge testament to coach Grams and his coaching staff to have two players in the past three years receive this award.

“Therefore, just as much credit should be given to them. And my father (Jim, head softball coach at Regina), who has taught my sister and me since day one.”

Dani was just 6 years old when she was in the car with Nikki, who was being driven for a tryout for the 10-and-under Elk Grove Heat.

Just for the fun of it, Dani decided that same day she wanted to try out.

The rest is history. She made the team and played with older her sister for the next nine years.

Jim and his wife Wendy always brought Dani to their sons’ baseball games, too.

“And I fell in love with the game,” Dani said. “My dad (former football player at St. Viator) had a big effect on me becoming a softball player. I always wished I could be a college player and he was pretty confident in my abilities to become one.”

Former Elk Grove standout southpaw Megan Huitink played a big role in Dani’s interest in pitching.

“Megan fostered Dani’s interest by the way she treated her at games,” Jim said. “She would go out of her way to help Dani. She would catch and Dani would pitch to her. That encouragement from Megan meant a lot of Dani.”

Goranson follows in a long line of standout pitchers Grams has coached.

Last season, Goranson shared time on the mound with Stephanie Maday (17-2, 0.95 ERA), who now pitches for Eastern Illinois.

Goranson was 11-1 as a freshman and 18-2 last season, giving her a 58-8 career mark.

“I enjoyed pitching without sharing duties this year,” Goranson said. “The pressure of having the entire team rest on my shoulders is something I love doing.

“Even though Stephanie and I enjoyed a tremendous amount of success together last season, I enjoyed having the responsibilities this season.”

And Grams could not have been more impressed by how the junior stepped into the new role.

“Dani became the focal player of a good team and handled it extremely well,” he said. “We knew she would pitch well but her hitting advanced by leaps and bounds.”

Goranson extended her pitching arsenal as well.

“She was really so much better this season,” Grams said. “In the past, she just kind of threw the ball rather than working on the hitters. But now she has developed different pitchers and was very impressive in how she worked differently to the hitters.”

Grams felt Goranson’s demeanor in a leadership role stood out.

“She accepted the leadership role and handled it admirably,” he said. “I’m so impressed with her as a softball player ... physically, mentally and as a teammate. She was just a great package.”

And there’s one more year wearing the Grens’ green before the Spartans’ green.

“Dani works extremely hard at this, so as hard it might seem to say, she could be better next year given how hard she works at all phases of the game,” Grams said.