At 5-foot-1, Burlington Central freshman Mei Shirokawa might be easy to overlook in a crowd.
She won’t be for long, however. Wait and see.
Anna Sanders, a Minnesota-Duluth recruit, nodded knowingly.
“As soon as Mei steps on the field, You’re like, ‘Who’s that girl?’” said Sanders, a three-time all-conference selection who also has been named all-state. “The way she moves, she’s smooth.”
Shirokawa is a slick-fielding shortstop who can also play catcher for the Rockets. Sanders and fellow senior outfielder Danielle Durckel are in their fourth year on the varsity.
The trio of players, along with a few others, could be keys to the turnaround first-year coach Bill Morrow is hoping to unlock this season from a down-on-its luck team that went 9-23 last spring.
Burlington Central (4-3) has won three in a row, led by the pitching of freshman Emmerson Falk and juniors Addisyn Petersen and Allie Botkin in Friday’s 15-5 win in five innings over Geneva.
The Rockets edged Kaneland 8-7 Saturday behind sophomore pitcher Isabelle Reed, who struck 11 and allowed just three earned runs, and then beat Fox Valley Conference rival Crystal Lake South 11-1 in five innings on a one-hitter by senior pitcher Emily Rafferty, who struck out nine.
“It’s a transition,” said Sanders, who’s playing for her third coach in four years. “But this year, there has been a lot of positive energy. We’ve been getting better and better every day at practice.
“We drill hard.”
Burlington Central’s Anna Sanders (22) fields a ball against Geneva during a nonconference game in Burlington on Friday, April 5, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
Morrow, the president of the Wasco Diamonds, has stepped down from coaching travel but took on the Burlington Central job when it opened this school year. He had been a volunteer coach for the Rockets from 2010 to 2013, and his two daughters both played in the program.
“I played with the Diamonds for three years from 9U to 12U but never for coach Morrow’s team,” Sanders said. “He was my hitting coach and coached my older sister. I knew him pretty well.”
Sanders played second base her first two years at Burlington Central and last season at shortstop.
“This season, I’ve bounced around from third base, shortstop and outfield.” she said. “A lot of times if Mei is catching, I’ll play shortstop. In the meantime, I’ll keep competing with her.”
Burlington Central’s Mei Shirokawa (4) takes a lead off of third base against Geneva during a nonconference game in Burlington on Friday, April 5, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
Sanders said Minnesota-Duluth’s coach recruited her to play middle infield but she realizes nothing is etched in stone.
“A lot of times, how it goes is you show up and fight for whatever spot you can get,” Sanders said. “That’s what I’m expecting. Whatever spot is there, I’ll go for it.”
Shirokawa and Sanders both play on different teams for the Dennison Silverhawks.
“I’ve known Anna for a while,” Shirokawa said. “She’s definitely one of the leaders (at Burlington Central), although we have a lot of leaders.
“I was really worried at first, coming in as a freshman, but the girls were really nice and welcoming. I knew coach Morrow and was excited to work with him. I knew he could make me better by a lot.”
Burlington Central’s Kelsey Covey (7) and Mei Shirokawa (4) slap hands before Emmerson Falk (25) pitches against Geneva during a nonconference game in Burlington on Friday, April 5, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
Shirokawa has also played second and third base in travel ball.
“She’s gonna be the real deal, no doubt about it,” Morrow said. “She can hit, field, throw and run. She’s a good catcher, but I just think at shortstop, she has the ability to be seen. She’s a baller.”
Shortstop has become Shirokawa’s favorite spot on the field.
“I’ll do any position that fits me — I love fielding,” she said. “I like being a leader on the field, and shortstop is kind of like quarterback in football. You have to know where everybody is going.
“Every single practice, every single game I feel like I’ve learned something. I’m getting better.”
