Angela Zedak highlight videos are so much fun to watch.
In one, the Northwestern slugger parks a home run ball on top of a building.
In another, she clears a row of trees outside of the ballpark.
On yet another towering shot, the excited announcer exclaims, “Nobody is seeing the ball better in the Big Ten than Zedak as she touches ‘em all.”
Talk about channeling your inner Babe Ruth.
“Ha-ha … Honestly, when I see my pitch, I just go and hope for the best,” Zedak said. “I’ve always been someone who plays hard and swings hard, no matter what. Hopefully, good things happen.”
Many good things have happened for Zedak at Northwestern.
After Saturday’s doubleheader sweep over Wisconsin, Zedak is batting .311 for the Wildcats (28-9) with 30 RBIs and a team-leading eight home runs.
On defense, the senior left fielder has played errorless ball. In one game against Tennessee, she threw an absolute rocket on the fly to nail a runner at the plate.
Wildcats coach Kate Drohan told me she’s hoping this isn’t Zedak’s farewell season. She wants her back for a fifth.
She was more than happy to count the reasons why.
“Angela hits the ball harder than anyone I’ve ever coached,” Drohan said. “And she’s a tough hitter. She can really dial in on a location she’s hunting for.
“Where I’ve really seen her grow is that she’s really committed to our defense. She’s probably our best base runner in terms of scoring from second base. The little parts of the game is where she has really dug in and enhanced her game. That’s what makes her special.”
Zedak was certainly special at Marist, where she hit and pitched her way into the school — and the Illinois High School Association — record books.
Her 59 career home runs is the most ever by a RedHawk and the third most among all Illinois hitters. She’s second in the state in both single season and career RBIs with 84 and 239.
Zedak’s 57 career pitching wins is the best ever at Marist. She struck out batters at a rate of more than one per inning and had an ERA that averaged out to just over 1.00.
How good was she? Sometimes I have to ask a coach to give me some reasons why her candidate should be the Daily Southtown’s player of the year.
In 2019, I didn’t have to do that with Marist coach Colleen Phelan.
On Tuesday, I did ask just to see what Phelan remembered.
She remembered a lot.
“Angela was truly something special,” Phelan said. “What she did offensively and defensively are things that players have never done here at Marist. She truly got better every single year.
“She was an impact player from freshman through senior year unlike no one I’ve probably ever seen before. She was the real deal.”
During a playoff game last season at Marist, Zedak stopped by to watch and cheer. There were some pretty excited faces afterward.
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They remembered.
“It means a lot to me,” Zedak said. “I loved my experience at Marist. I loved playing for coach Phelan and her staff. Just to have any sort of legacy there is awesome for me.
“Coach Phelan was very influential in my softball career and my experience at Marist. She’s one of my favorite coaches that I’ve ever played for. She taught me a lot about the game and myself.”
Zedak had equally appreciative things to say about the coaching staff at Northwestern.
Drohan need not worry about that fifth season.
“I love being able to play in the sport I love with the people I love,” Zedak said. “I love playing for Chicago’s Big Ten team in my hometown. That’s a super cool little addition and something that not many people get to do.
“I’ll be playing another year.”
