GABI GABI, HEY!!
Hanover Central sophomore Comia is latest member of her family to excel on the ballfield
For a moment Gabi Comia spoke as if one of her family members had joined the discussion.
The youngest among a group of Comia athletes, the Hanover Central sophomore shortstop smirked while sharing her current talking point in their constant battle for bragging rights.
“Are you nationally ranked? Because I am,” she said between laughs. “That’s my go-to right now.”
That’s just the latest in a long, long list of awards and accolades for Comia and the rest of her family.
Comia is ranked No. 4 in the class of 2024 by the Extra Inning Softball website, joining three other Comias who have registered on national radars.
Her brother Jared graduated from Hanover Central last year and plays baseball for Illinois, where one of his teammates is their cousin Branden. Their cousin Jayden will play for Illinois too after finishing his final season at Sandburg in Orland Park, Illinois.
Gabi Comia grew up watching them, which laid the foundation for her athletic career.
“I was that little sibling who was always around, always chasing down foul balls,” Comia said. “It was just our family thing.”
Comia’s athletic background includes multiple sports, with forays into basketball, volleyball and gymnastics. But the family influences steered her toward softball and a desire to match the boys play for play and win for win.
“They’re all really good, but I’m the only girl who plays sports, so I always wanted to be better,” she said. “And they’ve always pushed me, always wanted to make me better.”
Comia already has overcome one obstacle to success at Hanover Central.
She experienced nagging pain in her left knee that became too much to ignore. In February 2021 she was diagnosed with a torn meniscus, which kept Comia out for six months, including her entire freshman season.
Hanover Central coach Sam Antkiewicz said he started hearing mentions of Comia when she was 10 years old. Now that Antkiewicz has Comia healthy and back on the field, he has learned why those rumblings about her abilities started so many years ago.
“Her softball IQ, her aggressiveness, her quickness, her ability to use all of that to her advantage is just unbelievable,” he said. “It’s something you can’t teach.”
Comia led the Wildcats (12-5) in nearly every offensive statistic through 17 games, including batting average (.600), hits (30), runs scored (32), doubles (six) and stolen bases (20). She also has made only two errors at shortstop.
Comia said she’s just thrilled to be on the field with her teammates again after missing all of last season.
“In my freshman year, watching the girls play … it just looked so fun,” she said. “And now that I’m able to play with those girls, it’s a ton of fun, especially our seniors.
“I should’ve had two years to play with them, but I only get one, so I’m trying to have as much fun with them as I can.”