After an outstanding freshman season at Waubonsee Community College, where she earned several postseason accolades including NFCA Second-Team All-American honors, former Rochelle softball standout Morgan Smardo intends to take her talents to the next level.
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After an outstanding freshman season at Waubonsee Community College, where she earned several postseason accolades including NFCA Second-Team All-American honors, former Rochelle softball standout Morgan Smardo intends to take her talents to the next level.
Smardo dominated the junior college scene this spring, recording a .503 batting average with six home runs and 42 RBIs while leading the Waubonsee softball team in several statistical categories on offense including at-bats (147), hits (74), runs (61), doubles (17) and stolen bases (19). Smardo also anchored the Waubonsee pitching staff during the 2024 season, finishing 7-5 with a team-best 4.84 as well as a team-high 63 strikeouts over 76.2 innings in the circle.
“I know my level of play, but I didn’t expect to improve as much as I did throughout the season,” Smardo said. “My coaches and teammates really helped me get there. My teammates and I bonded really well and my coaches really helped me learn and grow as an athlete. I enjoyed making new friends and forming new bonds with my teammates. I felt like I definitely improved my approach in the box and I did a better job of hitting the ball where I wanted to.”
As a result of Smardo’s success as a two-way player, she was named an All-American and received additional honors including NFCA First-Team All-Midwest, NJCAA First-Team All-Region and Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) recognition. Smardo will be transferring to the University of St. Francis in Joliet and competing at the NAIA level next year. Smardo will continue to study nursing in hopes of pursuing a career in the nursing field.
“St. Francis has one of the best nursing programs in the state,” Smardo said. “The coaches had me excited and I’m really looking forward to meeting the girls and playing with them because they had a great season last year. I’m excited to be a part of a team that can compete at a higher level and I’m looking forward to helping the team make it to nationals next year.”
Smardo intends to play in the outfield at St. Francis next year. The former Lady Hub softball standout pitched and played right field for the Waubonsee team during her freshman season, where she committed only three errors over the 40 games she played. Smardo helped lead the Chiefs to a 22-20 overall record and a 6-2 record in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference.
“Playing at Waubonsee gave me the collegiate experience in terms of the practices, the lifts and being at the school every day of the week,” Smardo said. “I was around my teammates a lot more than I was during high school and with my travel softball team, which was a great experience. It’s a very big confidence builder to be an All-American and I know now that I can compete with the girls at the next level and I can be on the same level as them.”
Smardo, who finished her freshman season with a .529 on-base percentage and a .755 slugging percentage, crushed her first collegiate home run against Sauk Valley on April 9, when she went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in an 8-2 victory. Smardo’s red-hot April continued against Morton College less than a week later, when she finished 4-for-4 with four runs, two RBIs and another homer in a 14-0 shutout win. Smardo had 27 multi-hit games during the 2024 season.
