Has senior left fielder Emma Fitzgerald been a pleasant surprise so far this season for Lockport?
It all depends on who you talk to.
“Sure,” Porters coach Marissa Chovanec said. “A pleasant surprise is good. I think we always thought she could do it. Emma has a fantastic arm, she moves well, and we converted her to an outfielder over the course of the last four years.
“She started getting comfortable out there last year. This year, she was out there in left to start last week and had just a great week at the plate.”
Quantifying that is the fun part for Chovanec, who said Fitzgerald was one of 12 catchers the program had during her freshman season. Hence the move to the outfield.
Last week, Fitzgerald went 3-for-5 with four runs, two singles, a triple and four RBIs for the Porters in their first two games of the season, both victories over Plainfield North and Oswego.
Now pivot to catcher Brooke Keltner and right fielder Giuliana Giordano, her senior teammates. They have seen what Fitzgerald can do, and it’s no surprise.
“She came out of the box hot,” Keltner said. “Obviously, it’s the beginning of the season, we’re still getting into things, but she came out of the box ready.”
A lot of offseason work by Fitzgerald with her travel team has paid immediate dividends for Lockport (3-0), according to Giordano.
“I just know that she was really excited to play this year, so it’s good,” Giordano said.
Fitzgerald played a little catcher for the freshman team and then did the same thing the next season on junior varsity before shifting to the outfield. That’s where she belongs, at least for Lockport.
She’ll remain at catcher for the Dirt Devils this summer on their 18U team.
“The outfield, it’s just a lot more excitement that happens,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s a lot more pressure in the outfield and I do my best under pressure, so when the pressure is on, I’m able to make the plays.”
Plenty was working at the plate last week for Fitzgerald.
Part of it, she confirmed, was merely being back on a softball field after a long winter. Then you add in halfway decent weather, and the whole experience was enjoyable.
Keltner pointed out that Fitzgerald is getting the job done on the field and off of it as well. In other words, she quietly leads Lockport, letting her play do the talking.
“She comes in when time is due,” Keltner said. “She does her job on the field. If we need her in the lineup, she’s always ready and comes out there and produces.”
Fitzgerald honed some of her leadership skills last fall in helping to coach eighth grade at Oak Prairie Junior High in Homer Glen. Her younger sister plays there, but that wasn’t the reason.
“I’ve always loved working with younger kids, even on the travel teams,” she said. “I love to help the girls. It’s a fulfilling experience for me to pass along my love for the game to them and watching them succeed.”
She’s planning on enjoying every single minute this season and during the summer because it’s the last competitive softball she will play. She’ll attend Kentucky to study neuroscience, a premed precursor.
“I really did want to play in college, but I decided for me, my education was more important,” she said. “I wanted to go to a big school, and I realized I wasn’t going to be able to play at that level with what I wanted to go into.
“It’s my last go-round, period.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
