Karina Benes looks right at home behind the plate.
Mundelein’s senior catcher shifts effortlessly side to side and up and down in the zone to best receive pitches that she often calls herself. Benes is also on the same sequencing page with the pitcher and offers emotional support whenever needed.
One thing about her does appear a bit out of place, however.
“I had a coach who wasn’t a fan of left-handed catchers, but I picked it back up when high school started, and it fell into place,” Benes said. “There are definitely some questions about a lefty catcher, but it never crossed my mind that I couldn’t do it, and my high school coaches have always trusted that I could do it.”
Benes’ ability to do so on a high level is one of the primary reasons the Mustangs are sectional champions for the first time since 2006, which happens to be the year when Benes was born.
Benes guided sophomore pitcher Shae Johnson through another gem and also singled and scored during a three-run fifth as top-seeded Mundelein beat 10th-seeded Libertyville 5-1 in the Class 4A Warren Sectional championship game in Gurnee on Friday.
Mundelein (34-1), which also won the North Suburban Conference title, will play Huntley (30-9) in the Rosemont Supersectional at 4:30 p.m. Monday.
“We’ve been playing fearlessly, and we have a great defense to back up our pitcher,” Benes said. “And our offense has always been producing runs, and that’s how you win a lot of games.”
It also helps to have a catcher like Benes who can deftly manage them.
“Karina doesn’t just think about calling pitches,” Mundelein coach Heather Ryan said. “She’s thinking about the whole game. Shae’s a little more outgoing and has a very big personality. Karina is such a great complement to her because she’s a little more reserved and keeps her calm. They go together so well.”
Johnson (24-1) brought a 1.66 ERA and 292 strikeouts in 156 innings into the matchup against conference rival Libertyville (15-17), which was coming off a win against Warren in the semifinals, and she struck out nine more. Johnson was quick to give Benes plenty of credit for her success.
“I love her to death,” Johnson said. “I could not have done anything I’ve done this season without her. She’s worked so hard for me back there. I have just as much confidence in her as I have in myself.”
Johnson’s smooth outing against the Wildcats was at least partly due to a tactical decision she and Benes made in how best to approach the lineup.
“Shae and I talked before the game, and she said she felt confident in her change-up,” Benes said. “Looking at the batters and seeing who’s aggressive and who’s not, since this is the third time playing them, I kind of knew who to throw it to. So we worked it (the change-up) in a lot more than we usually do.”
Benes and sophomore center fielder Kieley Tomas also stayed behind after Mundelein’s sectional semifinal on Wednesday to scout Libertyville and Warren.
“I tried to figure out anything we could about the teams, their signs, what the batters are like, and that helped me call pitches today,” Benes said. “I was taking notes for both teams and shared what I noticed.”
That included what the opposing pitchers were serving up. Not known for her offensive prowess in the past, Benes has progressed to the point where she’s the Mustangs’ No. 2 hitter, entering the game batting a robust .422 with four home runs, 30 RBIs and 38 runs scored.
“I’ve been trying to swing more aggressively instead of focusing on the little things in my swing,” she said. “Attack the ball early and hit it as hard as I can while keeping fundamentals there.”
Fundamentals will continue to command Benes’ attention as she transitions into a nonplaying role as a team manager at Florida Gulf Coast.
“Eventually, one day, I want to be a softball coach, and I feel like that’s a step in the right direction,” she said. “I’ll be at every practice and probably do some bullpen catching. I’ll keep stats in the book and be traveling to most of the games that are local. I still get to keep softball in my life.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
