'Amazing': Illinois State recruit has Illini Bluffs softball near fifth straight trip to state finals

GLASFORD — Windy conditions or not, Lexi Brinkman continued to do what she’s done all season — hit home runs.

The Illini Bluffs junior blasted her team-best 11th homer during Tuesday’s very blustery Class 1A sectional semifinal, helping lift the top-ranked host Tigers to a 6-1 win over Payson Seymour.

“I feel like I just go up there and know I have a job to do," said Brinkman, who ripped a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence to help send the state's top-ranked Class 1A team to the sectional championship at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

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The growth of Lexi Brinkman

The Illinois State recruit and three-year varsity player has been doing the job all season for IB (22-1), now two victories from a fifth successive trip to the IHSA state finals.

IB's No. 3 hitter is batting .479 with 17 extra-base hits, 41 RBIs and just nine strikeouts in 79 plate appearances. She has 10 multi-hit games including a 2-for-4 effort in the sectional victory.

“Her swing is just so fun to watch,” IB coach Lindsey Lox said, “and her catching is still phenomenal.”

Brinkman has been behind the plate since her freshman season. She credits part of her success to former IB pitcher Kierston McCoy, now a Bradley sophomore. McCoy led the Tigers to state championships in 2021 and 2022.

Now an upperclassman, Brinkman says being a leader is important. She says, as a catcher, she has become very vocal and works to hold her teammates accountable.

“She’s amazing,” Illini Bluffs senior Annabelle Fortin said. “We love everything she does. She’s a phenomenal hitter and amazing catcher. We definitely would not be the team that we are today without her. She’s a huge piece of who are and without her, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

Teammates and coaches weren’t the only ones to take notice of Brinkman’s growth and maturity as a player. Colleges began calling for Brinkman, who is posting a .994 fielding percentage with one error in 132 innings at catcher.

After attending several on-campus camps, Brinkman gave her verbal commitment to ISU this past October after falling in love with the Normal-based campus. She says the coaching staff made it feel like home almost instantly, plus former IB stars Hanna and Emma Hicks were on the roster and gave Brinkman their best sales pitch.

“I’ve heard only good things from Emma and Hanna,” she said, “so they definitely helped that decision.”

How’s that for another Division-I player in the IB pipeline? “It’s surprising, yet not,” Lox said. “She’s such a hard worker. This is her No. 1 sport, the one she loves the most.”

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How Illini Bluffs advanced to the Sweet 16

Illini Bluffs struck for five runs in the top of the first against Payson-Seymour. Morgan Lowe’s no-doubt grand slam highlighted the frame that featured a pair of hits and two errors.

Pitcher Cora Ellison did the rest, stymying the Indians with 10 strikeouts, no walks and scattering five hits.

Sara Finn went 2-for-4, raising her average to .594, while helping put Illini Bluffs into the Sweet Sixteen for a fourth successive season.

“We’re used to it at this point,” Fortin said of playing in pressure-packed games, “but I’m nervous and excited at the same time. Like this is my last chance to really leave it all out there, so I’m excited for what’s to come.

“We all love softball. IB’s a school softball. … You never really have an off day, so just putting my all into it and just trying my best each and every day and listening to my coaches and even my teammates that have advice for me.”

Lox, who is four seasons is 84-10, says her team handles all the hype in stride, staying levelheaded and remaining upbeat thanks to positive vibes from players like junior third baseman Tessa Howard.

“The girls have really embraced (the target),” Lox said. “They haven’t backed down at all this year. They haven’t given up. The wonderful thing about having the experience is they’re kind of used to it, so they’ve really got control on their nerves for the most part and they go out there and play their best.”

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Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA softball: No. 1 Illini Bluffs and Illinois State recruit nearing state finals berth