Here's what made this softball season stand out above the rest for these Rochester seniors

As Raegan Rezba and Samantha Gleckler have grown, so has the Rochester softball team.

The Rockets, reinforced by a throng of talented freshmen and sophomores, have surged to their best season yet in Rezba and Gleckler’s four years with the program.

It’s been everything they’ve been waiting for.

“When we started, we didn’t have very many girls and now we’re here,” Rezba said. “We almost have like two full rosters, so it’s been a lot of fun playing against each other in practice and getting better that way.”

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Rochester (21-7) has indeed ushered its most wins since 2019 and raked in the No. 2 seed for its Class 3A home regional beginning Tuesday at 4 p.m. against No. 6 Decatur MacArthur.

Either No. 3 Springfield High or No. 5 Taylorville looms in Friday’s regional final at 4 p.m.

“Even last year, it’s the same group of girls, plus some,” Gleckler said, “so this was the year that we were looking forward to and getting to know each other more over these past two years has been really good with these group of girls — and just continue to develop every day because we know what we can do and we want to prove that.”

Veteran duo

Rezba and Gleckler were both named all-Central State Eight Conference last season.

They were elevated as captains as early as last year because there were no other seniors ahead of them.

Suffice to say, they know what being the oldest entails.

“I think we just like to support one another and we’re always there for our teammates when we want to pick them up and bring energy,” Gleckler said.

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Both immediately took the field as freshmen. Their connection stretches back even further to sixth grade.

“We’re the best of best friends,” Rezba said. “We’ve been through it all together — all the way from junior high to now, we’ve been there playing softball. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Rezba has assumed a variety of positions over her high school career, ranging from the outfield to first base and shortstop. She credited that experience for turning her into a more complete, versatile player.

“Anywhere they need me, I’m ready to go,” Rezba said.

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She’s currently posted at center field. It’s a spot that suits her well.

“I love to run and there’s a lot of that out there,” Rezba said.

A sliding grab against Jacksonville indeed seemed like just another routine play for Rezba, who will play at Illinois College.

“Raegan is pretty unique in the fact that she is one of the most athletic kids I’ve ever coached,” Rochester coach Lindsay Howard said. “She doesn’t play outfield for her summer team and plays it for us just because that’s where the puzzle pieces fit.

“But she is one of the best outfielders in the conference by far. She reads the ball so well and has just a great quick step and is able to get to a lot of things like she was able to today.”

Gleckler, likewise, handled third base with equal ease against the Crimsons. The Lincoln Land Community College recruit said she has developed in all facets of the game over the past four years.

She ended up favoring softball over soccer, unlike her older sister Maggie, now a burgeoning midfielder on the McKendree University women’s soccer team.

Howard described Gleckler as a consummate third baseman and clutch hitter in pivotal situations.

“It’s going to be really interesting not having them around next year,” Howard said of the duo. “They’ve been around since freshman year being the main parts to our team and being leaders on the team. I’m definitely going to have a hole ... but at the same time, they have shown the rest of the girls in our program what it’s like to be a Rochester softball player and leaving that legacy will be great for our team.”

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Gleckler has certainly enjoyed her time with Rezba.

“She’s a ball of energy and she keeps it light and fun,” Gleckler said.

Switch hitter

Rezba knows how to mix things up.

She not only made her high school debut as a right-handed batter but also Rochester’s top home run hitter.

She changed her identity over the ensuing offseason and became the left-handed slap hitter that she is now, but Howard noted she has summoned home runs going both ways this season.

“Just one day I was in a slump and I was like, ‘Let’s try it,’ and here we are,” Rezba said.

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Last season, she went .384 (43-for-112) with a home run and 21 RBIs and she is once again among the team’s top hitters carrying a .402 average with 35 hits, 38 runs and 14 RBIs — all as a leadoff hitter.

Rezba said she bats at the top of the order because “we do what we have to do, and things get done.”

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Here's what made this softball season stand out above the rest for these Rochester seniors