Munster junior catcher Caroline Wendlinger is already looking ahead.
Wendlinger, who announced her commitment to Iowa softball on Tuesday, still has two high school seasons left.
“I’ve thought about committing to college and everything that comes with it for a while, so it’s surreal to be done with the recruiting phase,” she said. “On one hand, I’m proud of myself because I’ve had this dream for a long time. But on the other hand, it’s only the beginning of a new journey, and there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Wendlinger’s father, David, isn’t surprised she has reached this point.
“When you watch Caroline compete, it doesn’t take long to realize she has an edge,” David Wendlinger said. “She hates losing, she’s very competitive, and that’s always been true — not just in softball but in everything she does.
“Even when she was smaller and younger than the other girls, she had the ability to play up to her competition. She was never afraid.”
As a sophomore last season, Caroline Wendlinger hit .420 with a 1.348 OPS, a team-high nine doubles, 12 home runs, 32 RBIs and 33 runs scored for the Northwest Crossroads Conference champion Mustangs (26-6, 12-0). She hit .330 as a freshman.
Munster coach Jill Perez said Wendlinger’s softball IQ truly sets her apart, particularly behind the plate.
“She’s almost like another pitching coach,” Perez said. “She’ll tell them, ‘Here’s what I’m seeing,’ and it really helps them. She’s knowledgeable, has lots of experience with pitch calling and she’s always called games for us. It’s pretty cool because she’s really good at it and the pitchers trust her.”
“It takes something off my plate and lets me focus on other aspects of the game and the team because I know she knows what she’s doing.”
Wendlinger, who showed her defensive versatility last season, also knew what she was doing when she picked Iowa. Stacy May-Johnson became the Hawkeyes’ coach in May, and she emphasized her goal of “creating a championship culture both in the classroom and on the field” when she was hired, according to a news release.
Wendlinger said that philosophy and her conversations with May-Johnson gave her the confidence to choose Iowa over several other programs, including Pittsburgh.
“I think that really drew me in,” Wendlinger said. “Coach Stacy told me she’s not only going to develop me to be the best player but to be the best person, and that’s something I’m really passionate about.
“Obviously, the goal is to win the Big Ten and all that, and I want to be a part of that. But I want to leave college having become the best athlete and person I can be.”
That’s not to say Pitt wasn’t a strong option.
“Between Pitt and Iowa, there was no wrong answer,” Wendlinger said. “I probably would’ve been happy with both. Iowa just felt more like home to me, and I could just see myself being more me at Iowa. That’s what it came down to.”
With that decision made, Wendlinger’s family was able to exhale, according to her mother, Michelle.
“We all teared up — every single one of us,” Michelle Wendlinger said. “Caroline burst into tears, and Dave and I got misty-eyed for sure.”
Among Caroline Wendlinger’s next steps is pursuing more hardware for Munster, which hasn’t won a sectional title since 2016.
“My goal for my junior and senior seasons is still the same — to win the conference and get a sectional championship,” she said. “Those are my two goals, and the work doesn’t stop just because I committed to college, that’s for sure.”