Softball: Allie Goodwin, Cook County All-Area Captain

After home games at the Fields of Dreams, Barrington pitcher/hitter extraordinaire Allie Goodwin still had a little more work to do.

"Allie has been an inspiration for the younger generation of pitchers in our town," said Barrington softball coach Perry Peterson. "The little girls love to emulate Allie's pitching talent and she receives more autograph requests post game than anyone else at Fields of Dreams."

On the actual field, Goodwin certainly stamped her signature as one of the finest to put on the Fillies softball uniform.

The Princeton-bound and now two-time Daily Herald Cook County all-area softball honorary captain made it in the program's record books, utilizing both her right arm and her right-handed swing of the bat.

And her feet. Her 174 career runs makes her the all-time leader.

With the bat, Goodwin became the school's all-time home run leader with 45, one ahead of her talented battery mate Emma Kavanagh, who takes 44 into her senior season before heading to University of Arizona.

Goodwin finished tied with Kavanagh for career extra base hits (89).

She also ranks second all time in doubles (43), third in hits (179) and fourth in RBI (144).

So much for offense.

Goodwin's work in the circle, which included a 65-14 record, led the Fillies to back-to-back appearances in the final four, a feat accomplished by no other Mid Suburban League team.

"Hitting and pitching each have their unique challenges and rewards and that makes it very difficult for me to choose a favorite between the two," Goodwin said. "On any given day it can go back and forth depending on how well I'm pitching or hitting that day. If I had to choose one, I would say that the feeling of turning around a good pitch and hitting a home run or just coming up big for your team at the plate is my favorite."

Goodwin's plate at Princeton will be full, as she will play softball and study economics with a concentration in finance.

"A lot of factors went into selecting this major, but I loved Barrington High School's AP micro and macro economics courses and that is where I first developed an interest in the subject," the senior said. " I've always been taught from a young age the importance of academics and how far a great education can take you in life. Going into my recruiting process, one of the biggest things I valued was the quality of education I would receive and in my junior year I was looking into multiple highly selective academic schools."

When she visited Princeton, Goodwin felt at home.

"Princeton obviously provides one of the best educations in the country and the people, the support, the softball program and the campus made the choice easy," she said "It's a special place and I can't wait to get there."

Peterson can't wait to see her future.

"Allie has always been energetic to display her softball talents but also has demonstrated a tremendous balance with her academic performance as well," the 32-year veteran hall of famer said. "Princeton is such a great choice for Allie. This academic decision will provide wonderful life long opportunities for her."

Goodwin sure took advantage of her softball opportunities.

She began playing at age of six and tried pitching, just like every other little girl at that age. Catching on rather quickly, Goodwin really learned to enjoy the competitive part of it so she decided to stick with it.

Not a bad decision as she pitched her Barrington Middle School-Station Campus softball team to the state finals in seventh and eighth grade (going undefeated each year before reaching the Elite 8).

"Allie's talents were obvious early on, " Peterson said. "She pitched her way right past the older kids when I.E.S.A. middle school softball came to Barrington."

At Barrington, she wound up tied for fifth on the all-time list with 65. She also placed fifth for complete games (65), fifth for strikeouts (486) and eighth for shutouts (20).

On top of that, Goodwin's 187 career defensive assists are 17th all time.

"I believe Allie developed her skills on her own to make her the star player she is today," Peterson said. "Yes, she has had help along the way. But the drive and motivation she displays to her craft has paid off in a major way."

Goodwin gives a ton of credit to her mother Shelly.

"The person who was most instrumental in making me the pitcher I am today is my mother," she said. "Whether it was driving me to lessons, practice, or working with me alone on all my drills, she sacrificed so much to help me become a better pitcher."

Goodwin has always loved watching the college game and its pitchers.

Two of her favorites were former standouts Aleshia Ocasio (Florida) and Rachel Garcia (UCLA).

Growing up, and to this day, I have always loved watching college softball. There hasn't been one player specifically that I have idolized, but

"The players I looked up to the most were the pitchers who hit or played other positions," she said. "Being great at multiple aspects of the game is something I strive for, and it was made clear to me early on that being a good pitcher is great, but there are five tools to work on."

Suffice it to say, Goodwin did that perfectly.

Now she will do it at Princeton, wearing jersey No. 5.

"Growing up I wore No. 5 because I wanted to be Albert Pujols," Goodwin said. "I think it will be special to finish my softball career with the same number as when I started."

She finished her high school career with two trips to the state finals, a feat most don't ever get to do even once.

"I have to thank all my teammates and coaches," she said. "It feels great. There have been so many talented players that have passed through this program and to go to state back-to-back is a credit to the amazing girls I have had the opportunity to play with the last two years and the coaching staff who puts in an unbelievable amount of time and work into this program."