March 31, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

She’s Back! Dukeman set to get another shot at softball this summer

Hannah Dukeman is getting a chance to play softball despite COVID-19 stealing her senior season at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

“I had talked to the other senior softball players before all of this began and we were all thinking that something like our season couldn’t be canceled because it just didn’t seem fathomable,” Dukeman said. “Then, when it happened, we saw the reality of things being canceled, and we were really surprised.”

Dukeman is currently playing with The Mattoon Premier travel team. They are scheduled to play in Tennessee, Mississippi and South Carolina this summer, but Dukeman knows that those plans could change at any moment.

“Our coach has been very straightforward with us on what could happen, and my dad and I have talked as well about what could happen if those tournaments are canceled,” she said. “But, right now, we are planning on playing them as they are scheduled.”

Dukeman is grateful to get the chance to play softball again after a wrist injury prevented her from playing during the majority of her senior year of girls’ basketball.

Dukeman said that perspective helped her deal with the softball season being canceled before SJO could play a single game. Dukeman was one of four seniors on this year’s team, along with Bailey Dowling, Zoey Witruk and Lindsey Aden.

“I had been out of action for so long that it seemed normal for me to not play this year for softball, but I do think that the other girls took it a little harder since that was their only sport,” she said. “I at least had the small window of basketball to look back on, including playing on senior night.”

Dukeman played through her injury last softball season. She also withstood the pain of the injury during her travel season between her junior and senior years, but soon the pain was strong enough that Dukeman knew she had to go to the doctor. Soon after she had surgery.

“Once I knew that my basketball season was all but over, I was heartbroken and wanted to get just a little bit of mobility to be able to dribble,” she said.

The surgery kept her on the bench most of the season but she still ran with the team and worked to motivate them.

“When the cast came off, I was bound and determined to try and come back at least for a little bit,” Dukeman said.

Larry Sparks, who coached Dukeman through middle school and during her junior year on the softball diamond at SJO, had nothing but praise to say about Dukeman and her willingness to come back and contribute.

“For her to have the wrist surgery and to put herself into a position to be in our opening day lineup is nothing but incredible,” he said. “Let alone, come back quick enough to help the girls’ basketball team by postseason while not at 100 percent shows the true component of her skills as a leader both on and off the field.”

Dukeman will be taking her softball game to the next level at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and while she doesn’t know quite how things will look once the fall semester arrives, she does know that with the pandemic giving collegiate seniors an opportunity to return for an extra year, the chance at immediate playing time will be a bit more difficult come 2021.

“All of the seniors decided to come back for another year, and that will significantly make it more difficult for playing time next season,” Dukeman said. “With a travel roster of only 20 girls, there are currently 32 on the team, so it makes it that much tougher to crack that roster in the spring.”

Banner
Related Posts

10 things you don’t know about me… Dina Fox

June 5, 2019

June 5, 2019

My husband, Kerry, and I met when I was 18 years old in the middle of a snow storm.  We’ve...

Ingram, Behrens lead SJO soccer in spring season

April 21, 2021

April 21, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ soccer team experienced a whirlwind of aseason during the 2020-21 school year. A season they’ll likely...

Cain, Pence help SJO boys’ basketball post two wins

January 27, 2020

January 27, 2020

Playing a competitive nonconference schedule is nothing new for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ basketball team. The Spartans face...

‘We are here to stay’

September 19, 2019

September 19, 2019

AJ’s Station is here to stay. Owner Anthony Laubscher said he wanted to let the St. Joseph community know, that...

Spartans advance in sectional

June 10, 2021

June 10, 2021

—-ST. JOSEPH—-
There is an adage in baseball that a good offense wins games, but good defense wins championships. It does...

5 question Friday with SJO Tennis Coach Kevin Martlage

October 14, 2022

October 14, 2022

We asked SJO Tennis Coach Kevin Martlage five questions. Here are his answers. What does it mean to you to...

Get to know Steve Peters

March 25, 2025

March 25, 2025

Steve is running for the St. Joseph Village Board. What is the best thing about St. Joseph? I have been...

Kids Say…. What do you think a farmer does?

December 23, 2019

December 23, 2019

We ask students to tell us what they think a farmer does each day. Here are their answers. What do...

Voges urges St. Joseph residents to celebrate America

July 3, 2020

July 3, 2020

World War II veteran Bruce Voges loves America. When he told his kids he wanted to have a Fourth of...

Knott, sprint relay shine at GCMS Invitational

April 24, 2019

April 24, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ track and field team went two weeks in between competitions. Blame Mother Nature for...

SJO5k Results for July 30, 2022

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

Name City Bib No Age Gender Age Group Total Time Pace 1 Austin Bridgman Potomac IL 632 22 M 1:Open...

SJO girls’ basketball wins sectional title, advances to Elite Eight

February 15, 2019

February 15, 2019

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team waited more than a decade to give the program another sectional title....

10 things you don’t know about me… Sue Esposito

March 13, 2019

March 13, 2019

Every week we ask a community member to share 10 things about themselves. This week it is Ogden Trustee Sue...

SJO soccer ties Comets, plays Danville close

September 2, 2019

September 2, 2019

Four matches in, the St. Joseph-Ogden High School soccer team is still searching for its first victory. But the Spartans...

Running for a good cause

March 3, 2021

March 3, 2021

John Lubinski has a sizable commute each day to get from his home in St. Joseph to his place of...

Comments
Leave a Reply