“[Softball] has been part of my life since I was little,” said junior Alex Sobczak.

As a three-year member of the Mercy varsity softball team, a member of an elite year- round travel program, and verbally committed to play softball at the University of Michigan; it’s pretty safe to say that softball is an extremely important part of Sobczak’s life.

“I’ve been playing travel ball since I was 9,” said Sobczak.

Sobczak has been playing for the same travel organization, Finesse Fastpitch, for seven years. Within the organization, Sobczak has played on a multitude of teams. Most recently she has been a member of the Finesse 18u Gold Team. Although the team is usually composed of juniors and seniors in high school, Sobczak has been on the team since she was 14-years-old. The team practices throughout the year, and travels the country playing elite tournaments in the summer.

“The coolest place I’ve gone for softball is either Huntington Beach, California or Oklahoma City where the Women’s College World Series is played,” said Sobczak.

Not only does Sobczak play for Finesse, she is also a three-year, varsity starter here at Mercy.

“[Alex] is fun to have on the team,” said Mercy Athletic Director and assistant coach Mrs. Nancy Malinowski. “She has matured into a real team leader.”

For the Marlins, Sobczak has played both third base and shortstop. She likes both positions but admits that third base is her favorite.

“I like third the best because I feel like I can control what the batter does just by where I choose to stand,” said Sobczak.

While she can certainly ‘flash the leather’ at third base, Sobczak is equally as impressive at the plate. This past season she had 17 homeruns. She is now second in the state record books for number of homeruns in a season. She is one shy of tying the record.

“Alex is really dedicated,” said senior teammate Emily Gantner. “She is always working on getting better and improving herself.”

Sobczak’s 17 homeruns were a big contribution to the 54 that the Marlins had last season. It shattered the previously held record of 40 homeruns in a single season.

Throughout her career, Sobczak has played on many teams, but says that Mercy is something special.

“High school season means a lot more than travel ball,” she said. “It’s about coming together as a team to accomplish a goal.”

She says that while travel ball is fun and she meets a lot of great people, it is centered around getting to play at the collegiate level. In high school softball, however, is nice because the season is more team focused.

Although being a member of the Marlins softball program is important to Sobczak, she has another team to look forward to being part of in the next portion of her career: the Wolverines. In the fall of her sophomore year, Sobczak verbally committed to play softball at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor. Many schools were offering her an opportunity to play. They included The University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, and the University of North Carolina. Ultimately, she decided to go with Michigan.

“Michigan was my dream school,” said Sobczak.

With a full two high school seasons, and four collegiate years of softball left, it seems that the athletic possibilities are endless for Sobczak.

“Softball has made me who I am today,” said Sobczak.