The distance between Brooklyn, New York and London, England is well over 3,000 miles.
The distance on the softball field between Shepard senior Brooklynn Sedlak and her sophomore sister Londynn is about 20 feet. Brooklynn plays middle infield and Londynn patrols center field.
The distance between their hearts is even closer than that.
“This is my best friend,” Brooklynn said, pointing at Londynn. “If we’re not here practicing or playing together, we’re at home hitting or watching movies or something.
“We’re with each other a lot of our time. And I enjoy it.”
They hit three spots apart in the Astros’ batting order and are a big part of the nucleus of what figures to be a very competitive team in 2024.
Last season, Brooklynn earned all-conference and all-area honors. A cleanup hitter, she posted a robust .544 average with 37 runs, 17 extra-base hits and 34 RBIs.
Batting leadoff, Londynn flirted all season with .400 while scoring 20 runs. She was a gazelle in center, making several impressive plays and one highlight-reel catch against St. Laurence.
Former Shepard coach Andy Schindel, now a baseball and football coach at Geneva, found them to be reliable as players — and interesting to watch.
“It was so funny,” Schindel said. “They would talk back and forth out there like two sisters would do. But they would also support each other, pick each other up. They were great to have out there together.”
Shepard’s Londynn, left, and Brooklynn Sedlak share stories in the dugout during a practice in Palos Heights on Thursday, March 21, 2024. (Tony Baranek / Daily Southtown)
Londynn was pretty emotional when she was told after tryouts that she had made the varsity as a freshman.
“I was literally jumping up and down,” Londynn said. “I love playing with Brooklynn so much. She gives me a lot of great feedback. I was so excited.”
They both settled down on the way home.
Nah, they didn’t.
“We were in the car on the way home, just blasting music and screaming,” Brooklynn said, laughing. “Then when we pulled in the driveway, we were just beeping the horn. Our mom knew when we arrived home.”
Is one better than the other? Not on Shepard coach Kelsey Clifford’s chart.
“They are both in pretty critical roles,” Clifford said. “They have some pretty critical responsibilities.
“Londynn out there in center covers a lot of land. And she knows her job in the leadoff position is to see a lot of pitches. She’ll do anything to get herself on base. And when she gets on base, with her speed, she’s going to advance.”
Shepard’s Brooklynn Sedlak (4) reacts while standing on second base against Lemont during a South Suburban Conference crossover in Palos Heights on Thursday, April 20, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Aside from her offense, Brooklynn can play just about anywhere.
“She’s consistent, but she’s also not afraid to do anything I ask her to do,” Clifford said. “I could pull her over and tell her, ‘Brooklynn, you’ve got to catch,’ and she’ll say ‘All right. OK.’
“She is so composed, and she’s got this attitude like, ‘I’ll get it done for you.’ You put her at the plate and she has this look to her … you just don’t want to mess with her. She’s business. Straight business.”
At home, it’s all fun, from practicing softball in the backyard with their older brother, Myles, to helping other relatives keep their identities straight.
“We use a reference like, ‘How many miles is it from Brooklyn to London?’” Brooklynn said. “That’s how everybody in the family remembers our names.”
Shepard’s Brooklynn Sedlak reacts as she rounds third after hitting a three-run homer against Richards during a South Suburban Red game in Oak Lawn on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (John Smierciak / Daily Southtown)
Their parents, Eric and Gina Sedlak, definitely weren’t short on ingenuity, up to and including the extra letter.
“They just wanted our names to be to be different,” Brooklynn said. “My dad actually named me after a song called ‘No Sleep Till Brooklyn.’ Londynn was named after a song called ‘Lights Out In London.’”
There are no extra letters in dad’s name, however.
“Because he’s not quite as special as us,” Brooklynn said, smiling.
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
