Look at Oswego’s Natalie Muellner now.
No overnight sensation, the junior outfielder has had her patience rewarded.
Why?
She stuck with her plan and made it work for the Panthers.
“She had a goal to be a starter at the beginning of the season, but it took a while for her to catch up to the faster pitching and the speed of the game,” Oswego coach Paul Netzel said. “Eventually, it started to click in practices and in games.
“Then, she took advantage of an opportunity when she had a chance to start.”
Better yet, Muellner began to remind Netzel of a legendary baseball player she knew nothing about.
“As I watch her run the bases, it reminds me of the same energy Pete Rose had,” Netzel said of baseball’s all-time hits leader. “She will take that headfirst dive into a base, and she runs with a take-no-prisoners attitude. She’s kind of like that.”
Nearly out of sight and out of mind, or so she thought, during the first part of the season, Muellner has turned into a fixture in left field while holding down the seventh spot in the batting order.
That’s where she should be again at 5:30 p.m. Friday when Oswego (28-9) meets St. Charles North (24-6) in a Class 4A state semifinal at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
The winner of that area showdown advances to Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. championship game against the semifinal winner between Marist (35-3) and Mundelein (36-1). The third-place game will be held right before the final at 2 p.m. Saturday.
For Muellner, the journey has been a revelation.
“I didn’t play much in the beginning of the season, getting in here and there,” she said.
Muellner played as a reserve in 16 of the team’s first 26 games, seeing no action in 10 others.
“It was a little rough, for sure,” she said.
Struggling in limited opportunities at the plate, she had just two hits in 14 at-bats.
“It was kind of all mental at first,” Muellner said. “But I took some time and got in some extra work.”
It included extra hitting lessons and continuing regular 5 a.m. weightlifting sessions with five or six teammates led by Division I recruits Kiya Chavez (Iowa) and Aubriella Garza (Northern Illinois).
Chavez and Garza are classmates of Muellner.
“It’s really fun,” Muellner said. “We have a lot of energy in there. I’ve been lifting since freshman year and it’s helped me a lot. My arm is definitely a lot stronger now.
“Also, I’ve gained a little more speed. I’m still kind of slow, but I’ve gained a little.”
Her chance to start came May 8 against West Aurora when another player was unavailable.
Muellner went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs and received another start, going 3-for-3 with a double and two walks in a game played in a steady rain on a nasty day in Yorkville that resulted in the Panthers taking a 21-11 decision.
In her first four starts, Muellner hit .636 (7-for-11) with three walks, two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs. She hasn’t left the field either, hitting .448 (13-for-29) in that span.
It’s lifted her season average to .349 with an on-base percentage of .462, boosted by eight walks. She also has three steals and threw out a Wheaton Warrenville South runner trying to score from second base on a single in a playoff game.
As for her coach’s reference to her Charlie Hustle playing style?
“It’s just the way I’ve always played,” Muellner said. “I like to have fun. Sometimes, I get down on myself, but I always remember it’s not just for me, it’s for the team as well.
“I like to keep the energy up and cheer on everyone.”
