Softball: Senior trio has Hersey headed in right direction

In the two years prior to the arrival of Sarah Bailitz, Brianna Luciano and Mikayla Tsagalis, Hersey's softball team had a combined record of 21-46.

Since they came in as freshmen in 2016, all three have started every year for coach Molly Freeman.

They've also started a program turnaround.

Including a 2-0 mark to start this spring, the Huskies are 63-26 the last four years with two Mid-Suburban East crowns and two regional titles.

Until this trio came along, Freeman has never had three girls from one class start four straight seasons.

And she has never had three top-level college recruits from the same class ­ - Tsagalis (South Dakota), Luciano (Winona State) and Bailitz (Dayton.)

"Since I've been here (12 seasons), they've accomplished the most of any group I've had," Freeman said. "But the most impressive thing to me about these girls is how hard they work. On every play, it's 100 percent."

It's been a near 100 percent improvement for wins and losses since the triumphant trio came on campus.

"We've pushed each other the last four years," said Bailitz, an all-area performer as a freshman. "We made each other better."

Bailitz came from St. James School in Arlington while Tsagalis and Luciano were students at River Trails Middle School in Mt. Prospect.

They all met in Hersey's summer softball camp in 2016.

"Before we got here, it was kind of a rough time for Hersey and we weren't winning much," said Bailitz, who led the Huskies with a .533 batting average, 10 home runs, 13 doubles and 49 hits last year.

Now, it's been four straight winning seasons for Hersey, beginning with a 17-10 record in 2016 and back-to-back 20 win seasons.

"At the time Sarah, Bri and Makayla got here, we still had players like Katie Wingerter (school record 39 career homers) and Hannah Graff and we already had a real solid group," Freeman said. "That was the first year we won a regional.

"As freshmen (Bailitz, Luciano and Tsagalis) fit in right away. They were ready to go from the start. It was kind of a perfect fit. When we needed them, they fit right in."

Bailitz and Luciano fit in on the mound while Luciano has been a mainstay in the outfield.

"I really want to leave a mark here," Luciano says now, four years later.

She doesn't have to worry. She already has.

Last year, Luciano hit .516 with 3 home runs, 3 triples and 14 doubles. She also struck out 145 batters in 92 innings.

In addition to adding the winning success, Luciano has another objective this spring.

"I'd like to help the younger players and things like that, " she said.

Tsagalis has helped the Huskies with her speed, glove and bat since day one.

She has been Freeman's leadoff batter four straight years.

"She has just been dynamite there," said Freeman, a former dynamite outfielder herself for Fremd High School. "She always gives us a spark and she's a force to be reckoned with in the outfield."

Bailitz and Luciano have been forces on the pitchers mound and in the field.

"Sarah is very dominate with her voice and stature in the field," Freeman said of the right-hander who threw 70 innings last spring with 72 strikeouts. "She is a true competitor. She wants to win no matter what.

"Bri is just a really versatile player. She can play third base, shortstop and she can pitch. She can be all over place for us. She is a fantastic athlete."

It was a fantastic start for the Huskies' trio when they won their season opener 16-4 over Zion Benton.

Luciano went 5-for-5 with 3 doubles and threw a 7-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Bailitz and Tsagalis each went 4-for-5.

In their next game, the Huskies defeated Warren 6-3 in the semifinals of the Barrington Spring Fling.

"That's a team (Warren) we haven't beat for at least 12 years," Bailtiz said. "That was a big deal."

Having three top college recruits with a combined 12 years of varsity experience is quite a good deal for the defending East champs.

"I knew we'd all make a big impact on Hersey softball and that we were going to have a future in the sport," said Tsagalis, who batted .500 as a sophomore with 12 doubles, 3 homers and 32 runs. "But to see all three of us go (to top colleges) is really big."

"We're all happy for each other," said Luciano, who also played a key role on Hersey's regional championship girls basketball team this winter. "It's a real close bond."

Luciano and Tsagalis were already friends in eighth grade.

"Our intentions were to get things started but we were just freshmen," Luciano said. "We were just learning the rules and following the upperclassmen.

"After they graduated, we kind of took the reins and tried to lead this team to do something special."

And that's exactly what this trio has done.

"I really think it was how our team clicks," Tsagalis said. "Since freshman year to now, our teams have always had chemistry. We never had any problems. We've always been a good team."