Softball: Record-setting Oswego team set for first state appearance: ‘It doesn’t feel real, but it’s awesome’

Oswego juniors Kiyah Chavez and Aubriella Garza both made similar points in separate conversations.

If Oswego was to go this far, this was the team to do it.

The Oswego softball program has not exactly been synonymous with success over the years. Oswego went nearly four decades without a regional title, and 22 years without a winning season from 1995-2016.

That was then. This is now.

Behind a potent lineup that has smashed 46 home runs this season, and the red-hot postseason pitching of sophomore Jaelynn Anthony, Oswego won its first regional in 37 years, and its first-ever sectional title.

Now the Panthers are headed to their first state tournament, where they’ll play St. Charles North in a Class 4A semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Peoria’s Louisville Slugger Complex.

If Chavez is dreaming, don’t wake her up.

“It doesn’t feel real, but it’s awesome,” said Chavez, Oswego’s junior catcher and an Iowa recruit. “If there was an Oswego team that would do it, it’s this one. I’m not super surprised we’re here but definitely a little shocked.”

That Chavez isn’t surprised is with good reason.

Oswego last season won 23 games, a school record that this 28-9 team has since surpassed. That Panthers’ team was upset by West Aurora in a regional semifinal, but a ton of talent returned, seven girls committed to play collegiately led by Chavez, Garza (NIU), senior second baseman Marissa Moffett (Illinois State), senior right fielder and leadoff hitter Kaylee LaChappell (Missouri S&T) and senior shortstop Maddie Hernandez (Wisconsin-Parkside), who drove in the game-winning runs in the 5-2 supersectional win over Minooka.

“Last year we had high expectations, but things happened, we didn’t get as far as we wanted to,” said Chavez, who missed the second half of last season with a thumb injury. “Since Day 1 what we have been talking about is state, state, state. It’s so surreal that we’re here, but we had faith that we could make it this far.”

Along the way the Panthers, who score nearly eight runs per game, have rewritten the program record book.

Garza, who had the tying homer in the supersectional win, set a career home run record that Anthony could eventually surpass, and is also Oswego’s career record holder in hits and doubles. Chavez set a new single-season hit record in the regional final.

Eight of Oswego’s nine starters are batting over .300 on the season, led by Chavez (.487, 10 doubles, 12 homers, 44 RBIs), Anthony (.376, seven doubles, 13 homers, 36 RBIs), LaChappell (.402, 45 runs scored), junior Rikka Ludvigson (.394, 39 RBIs) and Garza (.370, 11 doubles, 10 homers and 39 RBIs).

“It’s amazing to be able to know that these girls have my back and I have theirs,” Garza said. “I had a moment in the middle of the season where I was hitting the ball right at people and it was frustrating, but that’s part of the game, can’t expect people to be perfect. To watch them pick me up, and then get an opportunity to get a big hit on Monday, it’s pretty awesome.”

Garza and Anthony shared pitching duties during the regular season, but Anthony has handled the reins since the playoffs started.

And the hard-throwing right-hander has caught fire.

Anthony tossed back-to-back shutouts in sectionals, and limited Minooka – which twice beat her 7-0 during the regular season – to two runs in the supersectional win.

On the season, Anthony is 14-5 with a 1.96 ERA and 135 strikeouts over 125 innings.

“I’m just seeing [during the playoff run] that she wants to win,” Chavez said. “When a team and a person wants to win, and has that desire and passion nobody can take you down. Jae is the type of personality that she wants to have fun and wants to win and do as good as she possibly can.”

Oswego is the lone program making its state tournament debut in Peoria this weekend. Defending champion Marist (35-4), making its fifth consecutive state appearance, plays Mundelein (36-1), back at state for the first time since 1996, in the first semifinal.

St. Charles North (24-6), meanwhile, returns after winning the 2022 state title. Junior pitcher Paige Murray, who closed out the 2022 championship game win over Marist in relief, tossed a 14-strikeout no-hitter in Monday’s supersectional win over Whitney Young.

“We have a few girls that have friends on their team, and I know a few of the girls on the team, and we’ve done some background. We’re excited to be able to have the chance to play,” Garza said. “I think our team will enjoy every moment about it and treat it like any other game. You can’t let the craziness get to your head, you just have to dial in.”