Before I asked her, I guessed to myself how former Lemont pitching ace Sage Mardjetko would describe entering the college transfer portal.
I had visions in my mind of a tornado. I was close.
“It’s kind of a whirlwind and super chaotic,” Mardjetko said. “It’s never an easy choice to enter the portal and leave a place you’ve known and the friends you’ve had.”
After a competitive freshman season at South Carolina, the winds of change in her college career started blowing June 8, when it was announced that Gamecocks coach Beverly Smith wouldn’t be returning for a 15th season.
It hit Sage deeply.
“I was very close with the coaching staff at South Carolina,” Mardjetko said. “I formed a great relationship with all of the coaches the past few years, even before I came into college.
“When she was fired, it was kind of chaotic, with a lot of uncertainties. Not something you really signed up for. I just didn’t see it being the same South Carolina that it was the year before.”
Mardjetko entered the portal June 17. She whirled around for only a few weeks before announcing her transfer to Tennessee.
She had come close to being a Volunteer from the start. Tennessee was one of the finalists before she signed with South Carolina during her senior year at Lemont.
“I was extremely close to choosing Tennessee,” Mardjetko said. “I loved it the first time I saw it. I loved the staff. It just came down to more like a feel thing and kind of what my gut was telling me.
“Tennessee was the first visit I went on in the portal. It’s a great place. It’s a great coaching staff. Knoxville is an awesome community. They’ve got a really good team this season, so it’s exciting.”
Lemont pitcher Sage Mardjetko celebrates with a cake after reaching the 750 mark in career strikeouts during a game against Beecher on Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Tony Baranek / Daily Southtown)
She’s not kidding about the talent.
In 2024, Tennessee earned the highest NCAA Tournament seed in program history. The Volunteers were led by sophomore right-hander Karlyn Pickens, the SEC Pitcher of the Year.
Pickens isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Mardjetko smiled at the obvious question.
“Yes, that’ll be a challenge,” she said. “But you learn in college softball that it doesn’t take one to do it. You just can’t have one awesome pitcher pitch the 60 games you might play in a season.
“Every game is a battle in college. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, especially in the SEC. You never get a game off, a weekend off. It’s crucial to have two very strong pitchers, especially if you want to go far in the postseason and playoffs.”
Lemont’s Sage Mardjetko talked about her two state championship medals and her college future at South Carolina on Monday, June 19, 2023. (Tony Baranek / Daily Southtown)
Mardjetko gained a wealth of experience as a freshman at South Carolina. She pitched 118 innings, winning eight games and saving three, while striking out a team-leading 119. She had three complete games and a 2.85 ERA.
Not bad. But the SEC was a different world than the South Suburban Blue.
“Very different,” Mardjetko said. “In high school, you would play whatever teams and you’d get maybe one through three or one through five who were the best hitters. In college, you have one through nine that are studs. And they pull people off the bench who are just as good.
“It could definitely be tough mentally and emotionally. You’re dealing with a bunch of new challenges and have expectations that may or may not be out of reach. It could be a struggle day to day, but you have to lean on your teammates and know that tomorrow is a new day.”
Sage Mardjetko (16) holds the Class 3A state championship trophy after Lemont defeated Antioch at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria on Saturday, June 10, 2023. (Andrew Burke-Stevenson / Daily Southtown)
Of course, I couldn’t let her get away without talking about yesterday.
Mardjetko left a legacy at Lemont few pitchers in the Southland have even closely approached.
As a junior and senior, she led Lemont to back-to-back Class 3A state titles. As a senior, she went 23-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 340 strikeouts. During her high school career, she threw 32 no-hitters and five perfect games.
Pretty wild. Legendary.
“It’s a great experience today to be able to say that I was a part of this and a part of that,” Mardjetko said. “In the moment it never felt like that. It was just me playing softball with my friends and having fun.
“But looking back, winning two state titles is not easy to do at any school, and it’s definitely something that’ll be talked about for a long time. It’s awesome to see I helped put Lemont on the map a little bit in the softball world.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
