Her mom was a standout softball player at Stagg who went on to a successful college career at Illinois-Chicago.
Her dad was a standout baseball player at Sandburg who went on to a successful college career at St. Xavier.
It would figure to be a no-brainer that Mia Degliomini grew up dreaming about being a dominator on the diamond for Lincoln-Way Central.
Nope. Not even in her wildest ones. Not for a while, anyway.
“At first, I actually didn’t want to,” Degliomini said. “When I was little, I did gymnastics. But I had some cousins who played in rec ball, and when I saw them I thought, ‘I really want to do this.’”
As a starting sophomore outfielder, Degliomini is feeling right at home for the Knights (6-0).
Degliomini is among the early Southland leaders in batting with a .545 average. She’s at the top of the team’s chart with four stolen bases while also scoring six runs.
Ask Lincoln-Way Central coach Jeff Tarala about what dynamic she brings and he talks in plurals.
“That’s a great word — dynamic,” Tarala said, breaking into a smile. “She’s extremely dynamic. She’s incredibly fast. She grinds out at-bats. She’ll find a way to foul pitches off and look for better ones. She’ll take walks. She can bunt. She can slap.
“We’ve been missing for a while in this program a grit and a toughness. We feel Mia provides that for us. She’s a hard-nosed player, a tough player. She’s a five-tool player, and she’s just a sophomore.”
Mia is the daughter of Joey Degliomini and Abby Booth Degliomini. Abby Booth, a 1997 graduate, helped Stagg reach state in three straight seasons from 1995 to 1997. She’s a teacher at the Palos Hills school. Joey went to state with Sandburg during his junior season in 1996.
On top of that, her aunt, Jen (Degliomini) Sievers, was also a standout player at Sandburg from 1992 to 1996 and played at state.
What a family legacy to follow.
“Yeah, I get told about how good my mom was a lot by family members,” Mia said, laughing. “I think it’s really cool that my mom was such a good player and I have someone like her to look up to and follow in her footsteps.”
As a freshman, Degliomini played on the varsity last season for the Knights. She was primarily a courtesy runner for pitcher Isabella Dimitrijevic. But Tarala gave her one start she’ll never forget.
“We played her against Stagg because it was her mom’s alma mater,” Tarala said. “She absolutely tore ’em up, dominated in that game.”
Degliomini went 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, a triple and two RBIs.
“When I was put in that game, I just took the opportunity and did my best,” Degliomini said. “I didn’t ask to play, but I know a lot of people from Stagg and my mom works there, too. It was fun.”
Degliomini faced a tougher challenge during the offseason. She was playing with Lincoln-Way Central teammate Ellie McLaughlin on their travel team during a tournament in Arizona when she suffered a torn meniscus in her right knee.
“A ball was hit down the line and I went to stop it,” Degliomini said. “My knee went straight backward. It kind of popped a little bit, but it was super sharp pain. My dad told me everybody in the park could have heard me crying.”
Sure, but before the tears …
“She still got up and fielded the ball and threw it back in,” McLaughin said. “She played through it. It was hard what happened, but she’s strong and she’s upbeat. I knew she’d push through it.”
Degliomini worked hard through six weeks of rehab. And when the 2025 season began, she was ready to run. Lincoln-Way West found out about that during an April 3 game.
“At one point, Mia stole second base,” Tarala said. “Then I just gave her a look to tell her, ‘Hey, take a look if they’re not paying attention.’”
On the next pitch, Degliomini stole third.
“She’s smart like that,” Tarala said. “She’s a game-changer, a difference-maker.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
