I had opportunities during the fall to prove myself and I worked really hard over the offseason to show that I could be a starter.”

Bella Lodico

Former Rochelle softball standout Bella Lodico set a series of goals for herself after completing her sophomore season at Benedictine University. After transferring in from Judson University, where she played her freshman season, Lodico primarily pitched as a reliever with the Benedictine University softball team, finishing 2-0 with a 3.72 ERA over 16 appearances.

Motivated to achieve her goals, which included becoming a starting pitcher for Benedictine this season, Lodico worked over the offseason to improve her command and develop her pitching arsenal. The result was a career-defining season for Lodico, who successfully earned a starting role for the Benedictine softball team, which finished with a 25-17 overall record in 2024. 

“My goal was to prove myself because I came in as a transfer and didn’t get a lot of playing time last season,” Lodico said. “I had opportunities during the fall to prove myself and I worked really hard over the offseason to show that I could be a starter… I definitely had more control than I did last year. I had the same velocity, but I was more consistent with my control and I showed the coaches that I was capable of staying in games because I could throw strikes consistently.”

Lodico set career marks in several statistical categories during her junior season this spring. The former Lady Hub softball standout fired 143.1 innings over 30 appearances, which included 22 starts, 15 complete games and four shutouts. Lodico went 16-9 while recording a career-best 2.95 ERA and striking out 105 batters with 26 walks. The talented left-hander also improved on the defensive end, raising her fielding percentage from .833 last season to .907 this season.

“My natural movement is more of a curveball and I was able to jam a lot of hitters inside because I’m left-handed,” Lodico said. “I utilized my curveball and my changeup a lot more this season because having those offspeed pitches later in games was really helpful when hitters were catching up to my fastball. I worked a lot over the offseason on those pitches because my coaches knew I’d have to utilize more pitches since I would be seen more during the game.”

Lodico led the Benedictine pitching staff in nearly every statistical category this season. The RTHS alum shined in Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play, where she ranked sixth in ERA (2.26), third in wins (16), third in innings (139.1) and second in strikeouts (102). Lodico was named the NACC Student-Athlete of the Week during the week of April 28, going 4-0 with a 2.41 ERA and 20 strikeouts to help the Benedictine team complete a 6-0 week.

“I remember that day because I wasn’t on social media a lot since I was busy with work and practice,” Lodico said. “It was really because I felt like all of the hard work I put in over the offseason paid off… I saw a lot of growth in myself, particularly with how I reacted to certain situations in life. Going from being a four-year starter in high school to playing in college was difficult for me to understand, but if I wasn’t going to play, I wanted to be the best in the dugout as I could. Once I got more playing time, I wanted to continue being a leader in the dugout.”

Among Lodico’s season highlights was a 10-inning outing against Concordia Wisconsin on March 29, when Lodico conceded just two runs and struck out four batters in a 3-2 victory. Lodico struck out a season-high 12 batters on 142 pitches and allowed just three runs in a 4-3 win against Marian on April 27. Lodico concluded her two-year softball career at Benedictine with a 3.33 ERA as well as 18 wins and 131 strikeouts over 181 innings in the circle.

“I never really believed people when they said that time flies until I played my last game,” Lodico said. “My motivation this year was to cherish my time with the team because I knew I wouldn’t have an opportunity like this again. I played as hard as I could and I tried to be the best leader I could be. I learned how to take things as I go and to never take anything for granted.”

Perhaps more impressive than her performance on the softball field were her efforts in the classroom. Although she was technically a junior during the 2023-24 school year, Lodico completed her collegiate studies in just three years, graduating this spring with her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in social work. Lodico, who’s interning with a youth family services program in Carol Stream this summer, said she hopes to obtain her master’s degree in the next few years and pursue a career with the Department of Children and Family Services.