Hamilton picks ISU, Carroll USF
JOLIET -- When Jhavon Hamilton steps to the plate next spring for the Joliet Township High School softball team, she will be an instant headache for opposing pitchers.
Will she hit left-handed, slap the ball around and put her blazing speed to good use? Or will she hit right-handed, muscle up and send one flying over the left-field fence?
PHOTOS BY LIZ WILKINSON ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Either could happen.
Hamilton, a Herald News first team all-area selection last spring, signed her national letter of intent Wednesday to continue her softball career at Illinois State University. Her teammate, pitcher Chloe Carroll, signed with University of St. Francis during a ceremony at Joliet West.
"At the plate, you can't defend her," said first-year JT coach Heather Suca, formerly a varsity assistant in the program. "She will slap the ball when she hits lefty and she will hit for power righty. Whatever you need, she will give it to you."
The reason for the versatility?
"When I was little, my sister and I used to do batting lessons. She's left-handed and I used to try to beat her left-handed," Hamilton explained.
Hamilton hit .442 as a junior with 4 home runs and 24 stolen bases. She spent the early part of the season as the 3-hitter, later becoming the leadoff hitter.
As for her senior season, "Right now I'm under the impression that I will be asked to be a right-handed power hitter, probably in the 3-4 spot in the order," she said.
But there is more to Hamilton than offense, and it is a major reason she signed with ISU.
"Her speed is incredible in center field," Suca said. "She covers so much ground out there. She will be a real leader in the outfield for us.
"She sat out freshman year because of an injury, and from sophomore year to now she has made huge, huge strides."
Hamilton played summer ball with the Stone City Sharks and credits coach Jack Podlesny with helping her development.
She said she was looking at Michigan, Loyola and DePaul as potential destinations in college, "but as soon as I stepped on the ISU campus, I knew that was the place for me." She plans to major in psychology.
Carroll said she looked at several schools as well but wanted to stay close to home.
"I've seen the USF team play and feel I will fit in real well with Coach (Dick) Smith and the team," she said.
She figures to have plenty of work in her final season at JT.
"Chloe probably has pitched 75 percent of our games since freshman year," Suca said, "and we plan on her being on the mound all the time this coming season.
"She needs to strike out more batters to reach her potential, but she is taking lessons and is getting better in that regard."
Carroll said she want to become a pitcher her team can rely on.
"I want to have a situation where the team can count on me to pitch the ball where they can field it," she said. "It's always good to increase strikeouts, but when the ball is hit, you want it hit where your fielders are."
Carroll, who is planning to major in education at St. Francis, especially would like to boost her game within the rugged Southwest Suburban Blue.
"Some of the good conference opponents like Lockport and the Lincoln-Ways, I really want to improve against them," she said. "I didn't always do very well against them."
