BOJAN’S ANGLE
Wisconsin recruit returns to lead way behind plate as Marist eyes repeat as Class 4A state champion
Emily Bojan didn’t even have to be on Marist’s softball field for the memories to come flowing back.
All it took was a car ride to practice with teammate Sierra Sass.
“It was so awesome,” Bojan said. “It felt like a flashback of last season, with me driving to games and practices with Easton Lotus.
“I was so happy to be coming back here to be with the girls and coach (Colleen) Phelan. I’m super excited about it.”
Defending the Class 4A state title? She’s excited about that too.
“I don’t think there is any pressure,” Bojan said. “Some people might think there is, but if we keep the team chemistry going, it’ll be a great year for us.
“Our bats, they’re going to come alive this year. We have so much power in the lineup.”
With an extremely talented senior leader behind the plate.
Bojan, a Wisconsin recruit, was a first team all-area player for the RedHawks last season. She batted .429, with 29 runs, nine doubles, 10 home runs and 66 RBIs.
She was a steadying influence over the weekend at state, especially in the championship game against Lincoln-Way Central. Bojan kept the emotional support flowing toward Boston Collegebound pitcher Abby Dunning, who was suffering from arm cramps and dehydration.
Bojan carried Dunning off the field after the 3-1 victory.
“She gave it her all,” Bojan said afterward. “We all gave it our all and played for each other. We always had each other’s backs.”
Along with a gold medal, Bojan took home an extra souvenir — a huge bruise on her left leg from being hit by a pitch in the final game.
“I had that bruise on my leg for two weeks after that,” Bojan said, laughing. “But I was like, ‘I kind of like this bruise. It reminds me of state.’ ”
Bojan is one of Marist’s most successful two-sport athletes.
In basketball, she was one of the area’s top rebounders, helping lead the RedHawks to a 4A Sweet 16 appearance.
Her reckless abandon in hunting down loose balls had Phelan biting her nails.
“I told her, ‘All right, you make me extremely nervous watching you play basketball,’ ” Phelan said. “She was like, ‘Why? Do you think I’m going to get hurt?’ I said, ‘Yes, you’re on the ground every play.’ She’s very aggressive.”
Which pays dividends on passed balls and wild pitches.
“I kind of have a nose for the ball in basketball,” Bojan said. “I think it correlates to softball too. On a passed ball, I’ll be up and running for it. And being a backup for the pitcher, if there’s an overthrow, I feel like I can always get there.”
Bojan is one in a long line of talented Marist catchers. But it was a RedHawks shortstop who proved to be her inspiration — Brooke Wyderski, a 2014 graduate and two-time Daily Southtown Player of the Year.
“When I was little I always said, ‘Oh, my dream is to go to Wisconsin and play softball like Brooke Wyderski,’ ” Bojan said. “I looked up to her forever.
“People would say, ‘I don’t know if you’re a Wisconsin player.’ Even my parents were like, ‘We don’t really think softball is your thing.’ But I loved softball. I used that to work harder, be like the underdog and get stronger and faster.”
After one season on the freshman team, Bojan made the varsity roster as a sophomore, only to have the season canceled due to the pandemic.
She made her varsity debut as a junior, offering experience, confidence and the ability to be the field general behind the plate.
“Emily’s a super vocal leader,” Phelan said. “She brings an energy to the team. We can tell she’s missing if she’s not there. She just really keeps the team upbeat and brings a confidence to everyone out there on the field.”
While having fun herself. “I love being a catcher,” Bojan said. “I love being involved in the game, talking and communicating every single pitch. I feel like I have a lot of control.
“There is pressure at some points. But once I step on the field, all of that pressure goes away. There’s a good vibe going. It’s nice.”