Softball: Lakes' senior lefties intend to leave it all on the field

Best friends who have high-fived at home plate a few hundred times, Lakes seniors Rachel Becker and Molly Dietz had another reason to be happy.

The straight-A students did the homework (of course) and discovered the distance from West Lafayette, Ind., to Nashville, Tenn., or vice versa, isn't "that" far, actually. West Lafayette is home to Purdue University, where Becker will play softball next year. Belmont University, where Dietz will continue her softball career, is located in Nashville.

"We've mapped it out," Dietz said. "(The two colleges) are like 3½ hours away from each other."

That means the dynamic-duo days won't end, even though Becker and Dietz will be at their respective colleges next school year.

"We're definitely the dynamic duo," Dietz said with a laugh.

"It's kind of sad," Becker said of next year, when she and Dietz will no longer be schoolmates and softball teammates. "We're so close and have always played together. But we're definitely still going to keep in touch."

For now, Becker and Dietz, whose friendship started on a softball field when they were around 11, will enjoy their final season of high school ball. For the last three years, the Division-I-bound players have been exemplary student-athletes and have provided a dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of Lakes' batting order. Both left-handed hitters who can shoot the ball from foul line to foul line, both have started on varsity since freshman year.

"They definitely put a left-handed-bat charge in our lineup," Eagles coach Bill Hamill said of Becker, his 5-foot-5 shortstop, and Dietz, his lefty-throwing, 5-7 first baseman, both of whom can pick the softball.

The two players were at their best last season. Becker hit .540 from the leadoff spot and was named ICA Class 3A second-team all-state state. Dietz delivered a .433 batting average, usually batting in the No. 2 slot, and earned first-team all-state recognition. Becker snagged All-Northern Lake County Conference First Team honors, while Dietz was named second-team all-conference.

The lefties made things right for Lakes' offense.

"We had the same hitting coach (when we were younger) so we focus on the same hitting philosophies," Dietz said. "We'll tell each other, 'Hey, you're opening up' or 'You're dropping here.' But there are some differences in our (hitting approaches)."

When it comes to academics, there are few differences between Becker and Dietz. The focus they demonstrate in the batter's box and in the field carries over to the classroom.

Part of the reason why Becker chose Purdue was because of its strong engineering program. She verbally committed to the Big Ten school in November of her junior year and signed her letter of intent last November.

"Since I was little, I always wanted to be a doctor," said Becker, who scored a 1420 on the SAT and whose sister, Sara, is studying nursing at Loyola. "I plan on majoring in biochemical engineering and having the option to go to medical school after college."

Dietz is interested in studying business at Belmont, a Christian college that she calls "my dream school," in part, as well, because it's an academic fit for her. She wants to major in global leadership studies and maybe someday start her own not-for-profit. She's been a high honor roll student throughout high school and scored a 1240 on the SAT.

"But Rachel," Dietz said, "is the super genius."

And, yes, Becker gets an "A" for her softball play. She and Dietz are also travel-softball teammates with the Wisconsin Lightning.

"Rachel's got a great glove," Dietz said. "She knows how to play the ball."

The more-expressive Dietz knows how to have a ball.

"Molly is very outgoing and very loud," Becker said with a laugh. "The team loves her. She brings a lot of energy to our team. Which I love too."

Another high-five moment for Lakes' dynamic duo. And, surely, not the last.

jaguilar@dailyherald.com

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