Softball: Lake County All-Area captain Jepson and teammates embrace Mudita — and monster numbers follow for senior first baseman
The Stevenson softball team enjoyed a significant uptick in success this season, going from a 19-10 team in 2024 to one that went 28-4, won the North Suburban Conference with a 13-1 record and brought home a Class 4A regional title.
At the core of the team’s improvement? Coach Vera Pflugradt points to the concept of Mudita — the joy one feels when others succeed, without jealousy or envy.
“This mindset has been crucial for us,” explained Pfugradt, an All-Area softball player at Stevenson (Class of 2017) who went on to play at Wisconsin-Whitewater. “Supporting someone else’s success doesn’t hinder your own, and our athletes have fully embraced that. They genuinely celebrate each other’s achievements, which has created a positive team culture that drives strong performance.”
And at the forefront of that cultural shift this season, Pflugradt noted, was senior first baseman-pitcher Aubrey Jepson.
“Aubrey, in particular, has played a key role in this cultural shift,” she said. “Transitioning into a new coaching environment as a junior wasn’t easy (Pflugradt just completed her second year as head varsity coach and has been coaching in the program since 2022), but she and her class fully embraced the vision. Their buy-in paved the way for what this team is becoming.”
And while she was at it, the NCAA Division I Stony Brook University-bound Jepson put up some pretty impressive numbers to help the Patriots reach the Class 4A sectional semifinals. Jepson hit .480 with 47 hits, including 14 doubles, 2 triples and 10 homers (.969 slugging percentage; 1.521 on-base/slugging percentage). She drove in a team-best 53 runs and scored 38 more. She also helped in the circle, going 3-0 in 8 appearances — striking out 50 in 33 innings.
Jepson’s performance has landed her the honor of being named the captain of the 2025 Daily Herald Lake County All-Area softball team.
“Aubrey’s dedication and passion for softball is unmatched,” Stevenson senior catcher Sophia Becker said. “She is always getting in work outside of our team practices and watches film. Aubrey is also very empathetic and cares about her teammates’ success just has much as her own, contributing to the Mudita on our team.”
And Jepson, too, registered massive improvements, shooting her batting average up nearly 100 points from her junior year, doubling her home run total and adding a nice increase in the RBI department to her ledger. She leaves Stevenson having hit .440 with 114 hits, 55 extra-base hits (19 home runs) and 100 RBI over the last 3 seasons.
“This year I felt like I was more focused on hitting in general,” she said. “I looked at the stats last year and set higher goals this year. That’s what really fueled me to get better, the numbers and I wanted to contribute to my team and do more for them. I spent more time working on my swing and got a lot of reps on my own throughout the year and I still do. I did a lot of front toss and tee work and that really helped me.”
When it comes to this year’s Stevenson team, Jepson concurs a culture shift was evident.
“This year, we had a lot more fun than previous years,” she explained. “We really focused on playing for each other and not playing for ourselves. This was a very selfless team and we were able to accomplish many more things. When we went to Myrtle Beach (for spring break), we had some good games and some games where we struggled. We came home and reflected on what we did in Myrtle Beach and were able to flip a switch very fast and were able to work for each other. I just liked how much fun we had. This is the closest the team has ever been. We had a special connection. It was really fun to be around everyone and play with everyone this year.”
Not surprisingly, Pflugradt gives Jepson high marks in the leadership department. “This season, Aubrey improved her leadership skills and having confidence in herself to perform at her best,” she said. “She took charge at first base and was a constant encouraging voice for us.”
Stevenson junior outfielder Alyssa Shimanski was even more effusive in her praise of Jepson as a leader.
“No matter on or off the field, Aubrey will always have your back,” she said. “Taking accountability is such an important skill to have when being a leader. She always is trying to help her teammates out by giving them positive feedback or positive comments. She is always putting her teammates first and making sure they are OK before her. She also isn’t afraid to take responsibility when she messes up, which is so important when going to play at the next level.”
And at the next level, Jepson, who plays for the Chicago Cheetahs travel softball organization, said she is going to major in psychology and wants to go into a pre-physician’s assistant track at Stony Brook, located on Long Island in New York.
“The recruiting process was pretty long for me,” said Jepson, who recently graduated with high honors at Stevenson. “I have a travel teammate who is going there and her and the coach suggested I take a look at it. Stony Brook coaches came and watched me. I feel like it’s the right fit for me. I’m very excited to be going there.”
Jepson also is excited to have been part of this year’s Patriots team, which won a conference title for the first time since 2006 (Stevenson’s 28 wins are the most since that same 2006 team won 30 games).
“We had an amazing season, one of the best in school history,” she said. “Being conference champs is a huge accomplishment and I’m even more proud of it because we play in a pretty difficult conference with good teams. We didn’t let that get to us and we played our game and did what we could. We were stress-free when we played, we had fun and had a great season. We played really well and everybody contributed. It was a good way to go out.”