Which one of these feats is the hardest to accomplish?
Pulling teeth? Finding a needle in a haystack? Getting Brookfield East senior shortstop Lexi Sotiros to talk about herself?
Believe me, the first two are a piece of cake compared to the last one. And it is not because Sotiros had an average four-year career on the East softball team - on the contrary:
• She has been named to the NOW All-Suburban Softball first team for the second straight season.
• She was second team all-area (Journal Sentinel) for two straight years.
• She was honorable mention all-state the past two seasons.
• She was the first Brookfield East athlete in school history in any sport to be named to the first-team all-Greater Metro Conference team all four seasons.
• The school retired her uniform number at the recent season-ending softball banquet.
Coached by her dad
Sotiros, who turned 18 Saturday, initially wanted to wear the number 27 because it was her birthday, but the uniform numbers did not go that high. So she picked seven, which was the number her father, Pete, wore.
Speaking of her father, Pete was a member of the coaching staff the past two seasons, and it did not bother Lexi at all.
"He coached me when I was younger, and he was hard on me like all dads are," she said. "He's actually not that bad now. I don't see him as my dad when we're playing. He's a coach. I feel weird calling him 'dad,' so I call him 'coach dad.' "
Her father also gave her some advice about being only 5 feet tall.
"He told me that I'm closer to the ground to pick up grounders," she laughed.
When asked to look back at her high school career, the soft-spoken Sotiros was a bit understated.
"Successful, I guess," she said. "It was fun playing. I don't think about the awards."
Record speaks loudly
So she lets other people talk about her accomplishments.
"Lexi was the heart and soul of this team," East coach Kurt Raguse said. "She is an exceptional player with a great work ethic and certainly deserving of all her honors."
Sotiros batted .478 this past season with a .551 on base percentage and a .642 slugging mark. She scored 20 runs from her leadoff spot, banged out 32 hits and worked the opposing pitchers for 11 walks. She was a good contact hitter, only striking out once every 13.4 at bats, as she fanned five times in 67 at bats.
Sotiros used her speed well, as she also was an excellent base runner, stealing 14 bases in 17 attempts. Defensively, she had 31 putouts and 52 assists for a .933 fielding mark.
She was a key player on a team that bounced back after a down season last year, as the Lady Spartans finished second to Menomonee Falls in GMC play, eventually losing a 1-0 thriller in the sectional semifinals to the Indians.
"It felt really good this season because it is better to win," said Sotiros, who was part of GMC championships her freshmen and sophomore years. "We had good team chemistry this year. (Freshman pitcher) Amanda Kalupa did a very good job, and our defense did a very good job behind her."
As captain, a strong leader
Sotiros not only did a good job this season with her athletic talents, but she joined up with Megan Marcou and provided the Lady Spartans with good senior leadership.
"She was one of my co-captains and that speaks volumes," Raguse said. "Some teams let the girls choose the captains, but I chose my captains. She is what we are looking for. She is quiet and unassuming, but on the field she knows the game. She can be a cheerleader or can get on someone when they need it. She is phenomenal."
"I think we did a good job keeping the girls in line in practice; on and off the field," Sotiros said. "I'm not really quiet on the field. I try to talk as much as I can. I don't like telling people what to do, but sometimes you have to. I love helping people out."
The talented Sotiros, who has played competitive softball with the Pride of the Midwest since she was 9, is playing with the Waukesha Firebirds this summer. In fall, she will take her talents to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where she hopes to walk on and make the team. She will be majoring in sports management.
Honorable mention: Three Brookfield Central players earned honorable mentions on the NOW All-Suburban Team - senior Caroline Krombach, sophomore Andrea Schneider and freshman Britney Held.
Read Tom "Sky" Skibosh's blog at BrookfieldNOW.com.
BY THE NUMBERS
with Lexi Sotiros
6
errors the entire season at shortstop
7
her uniform number, retired by the school
83 percent
success rate on stolen bases
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