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Basketball may be No. 1 for Larkin’s Baylei Johnson, but softball is an impressive No. 2.
It’s no wonder Royals coach Anne Vogt is delighted the hard-hitting first baseman/catcher decided to return for her senior season, shortly after she committed to play NAIA basketball next season at St. Francis in Joliet.
It’s turning out to be one special last hurrah.
“She wasn’t quite sure until the second or third day of tryouts,” Vogt said. “I said, ‘Come to tryouts and let’s see how it goes.’
“She started to hit in the batting cage, was stinging it, and decided she wanted to finish with her senior year.”
Stinging it, indeed.
The Royals (6-5) won two of three game Saturday to take second place in the eight-team Larkin Slugfest at the Elgin Sports Complex. As usual, Johnson led the way on offense.
The cleanup hitter went a combined 6-for-8 with three walks and two home runs as Larkin beat St. Edward 13-1 and Bartlett 5-3 before losing 11-4 to Dundee-Crown in the final.
Johnson hit two homers against Bartlett as the Royals avenged an 11-0 conference loss Thursday to the Hawks. In just 11 games, she has also matched last season’s eight homers.
“Hitting has always been a strong suit for me,” Johnson said. “Coach Vogt has been my hitting instructor along with several travel program coaches. I’ve had my fair share of hitting lessons.
“I like to think of myself as a contact hitter who occasionally hits home runs.”
She gave up travel softball last summer, though, to focus on a higher level of AAU basketball with her Mount Prospect-based Full Package team.
That helped her garner more recruiting attention as she expanded her game.
“We made it to the Nike finals at McCormick Place, which was invaluable for recruiting,” Johnson said. “There were so many college coaches there. Interest picked up after that.”
She went on to special mention all-state honors while finishing her high school basketball career with a rare double-double — topping 1,000 points and rebounds.
“Baylei came into high school primarily as a basketball player, and it was no secret,” Vogt said. “If the roles had been reversed and she had wanted it to be softball, I have no doubt she could play it in college at a high level.”
Johnson, who was all-state last season in softball, is hitting .645 this spring.
“I feel like my commitment to St. Francis took some weight off my shoulders,” Johnson said. “But I definitely would have regretted it if I had chosen not to play this spring.
“These girls are like my sisters.”
Youth was served: Dundee-Crown, which has only two seniors, was led by junior pitcher McKayla Anderson at the Larkin Slugfest.
“She’s getting it done,” Chargers coach Matthew Goetz said of Anderson. “McKayla has good spin, and her fastball tops out at 67 mph.”
Anderson (5-2), who beat Burlington Central 3-1 and Larkin 11-4 while striking out 12 and 10, respectively, has 96 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings this spring.
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Johnson, who was 4-for-4 with a double, was the only hitter Anderson couldn’t solve. Dundee-Crown (8-5) opened the tourney with a win over Streamwood.
Freshmen Casi Attapit, who is hitting .438, and Jordyn Jeffs, who had a two-run homer in the championship game, have stepped up for the Chargers.
Welcome back: West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett is happy to have Katelyn Serafin back, even if only on a limited basis following elbow surgery.
The junior right-hander isn’t available to pitch but she can hit as the designated player and returned last week to the outfield.
“She’s a pretty darn good outfielder besides being a good pitcher,” Hayslett said. “She’s athletic and makes our defense a little better. At bat, she just comes out swinging.”
Senior pitcher Alyssa Perkins was glad to see Serafin rejoin the lineup.
“She’s got spunk,” Perkins said. “Sometimes, she’s a lot to handle, but it’s great to have energy like that on the field.”
