Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Kelsey Gonzalez exemplifies leadership for Saluki Softball
04/21/2016 | 12:00:00 | Softball
By John Lock
SIUSalukis.com
Under head coach Kerri Blaylock, the Southern Illinois softball program has always had four-year starting shortstops. Now, the Kelsey Gonzalez era is coming to an end.
When Gonzalez was in eighth grade (the Becky Wegmann era), Wade Thomas, Jessa Thomas's dad, told Blaylock about a shortstop with the best hands he had ever seen. Two years later (the Haley Gorman era), Blaylock started recruiting Gonzalez, and she got even more than she ever expected.
"We didn't even know if she'd help us offensively, just to be honest," Blaylock said. "We felt like we could give up something offensively to get this great defensive shortstop, and she's turned out to be our leadoff hitter. She really drives us offensively."
Gonzalez, the second of three girls of Joni and Mark Gonzalez, waited until her junior year to give Blaylock her commitment. By that point, the decision became easy.
"It was just a different feel," Gonzalez said. "Kerri sold me on both the school and the program. I felt really comfortable on my visits. I trusted her. That was the turning point for me. That's something you don't get from a lot of other programs."
Making matters even easier, the Gonzalezes were long-time friends with the Wunderlichs, and Alyssa Wunderlich was committed to pitch for Southern. Gonzalez came to SIU and did just what Blaylock expected--she started every game but hit only .210.
Gonzalez had one goal when she came to SIU: get a little bit better every year. But she made a big leap between her freshman and sophomore seasons. She hit .328 in her second season and has hit .300 over the past three seasons.
"I didn't play, defensively or offensively, like I could have," Gonzalez said of her freshman season. "I had to learn how the game was being played at this next level. You're not going to succeed all the time."
She had another area in which she wanted to make small improvement: leadership. As a shortstop and leadoff hitter, Gonzalez had to become the team's leader both offensively and defensively.
"She's respected by her teammates because she doesn't demand it," Blaylock said. "She's very likeable, and she does things the right way. She plays hard every day. She's the kind of kid who exemplifies leadership. It's been a pleasure coaching her."
She has been a rare two-year captain for the Salukis, and she has led Southern to 25 wins already this season with nearly a month yet to play. Blaylock compared her leadership qualities to former Saluki great Mallory Duran and Cristina Pisoni.
"It's helped me on the field, and it's going to help me in my life," Gonzalez said. "I want to go into a job where this leadership experience will be beneficial."
And how can you not follow her lead? She's the embodiment of the Saluki Softball program. On the field, she's one of the best defensive shortstops in the league. In the batter's box, you can count on 40 hits every year. In the classroom, she has a 3.97 GPA. In the community, she has put in nearly 100 hours volunteering with the Special Olympics and other charitable organizations.
"That was a big factor from the beginning," Gonzalez said of the program's well-rounded reputation. "Obviously, I came here to play softball, but I have to look at my life after softball is done. I wanted to go to a school where I could get an education, where the coaches saw that as an important aspect. Here, they do, and it shows."
After graduating in May, Gonzalez will stay in Carbondale and work on her Master's in Business Administration while working for Saluki Athletics. After that, she hopes to stay in sports for either an apparel company or professional sports franchise.
But first, she has an era to close out. SIU is in the middle of the conference race at the mid-point of the MVC season, and then comes the conference tournament, which SIU hosts from May 12-14 at Charlotte West Stadium. Gonzalez hopes to lead Southern to its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
"I just want to enjoy it," she said. "This is the last time I get to play. I love being around my teammates and having fun. If we play confident, we can make a run at it."
