Dupo’s super sophomore is BND’s small-school softball player of the year

A sign at the entrance of the Dupo High School athletic fields heralds the short-lived track and field career of Megan Brown.

But almost as soon as she was decorated for that junior high state discus title the sign celebrates, the soon-to-be junior dropped the sport and cast her focus on softball.

For Brown, the Belleville News-Democrat small school Player of the Year, softball is a year-round proposition.

“If you’re not playing, your training,” she says.

Between the high school and summer seasons, her year includes close to 100 competitive games, plus hitting instruction and an on-going strength training program.

The dedication has paid dividends both for Brown and the Dupo Tigers.

Brown’s .596 batting average was the best in the St. Louis region, 70 points ahead of Okawville’s Jessie Klasing, who ranked second. Brown also led in on-base percentage (.657) and was second in doubles (18) and slugging percentage (1.045). To that, she added six home runs, 36 runs batted in and 39 runs scored.

She set the pace for the Tigers, who finished with a 21-8 record and advanced to a Class 2A sectional semifinal game, which they lost 2-0 to Pleasant Plains.

As a sophomore, Brown gave her commitment to play at the NCAA Division-I level for coach Kerri Blaylock at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. That doesn’t mean she’s looking beyond the balance of her high school career. In fact, with two seasons left, Brown says she’s expecting even greater things.

Dupo lost just two seniors to graduation in the spring, just one of which had more than eight plate appearances.

“I’m definitely looking forward to going to SIU, but I’m also going to enjoy high school and summer softball while it lasts,” she said. “My goal is a state championship before I leave here. We’ll have an awesome team returning next season.”

One question mark for 2016 is whether Brown will be able to return to the pitcher’s circle.

As a freshman, Brown won 28 games and struck out 279 batters while maintaining a 1.12 ERA in 194 innings pitched. But chronic shoulder pain still has her limited her to other positions on the field. Multiple examinations and an MRI confirm the injury is no more serious than a case of chronic tendonitis, but when she’ll be able to pitch again remains in doubt.

“I’m hoping next year to get her pitching,” said Dupo coach Greg Pennock. “She’s taking the summer off again, which was her parents idea. That’s good for her, too, since she’s already got the (college) commitment she doesn’t have to go out feeling like she has to perform in front of a bunch of coaches and miss an opportunity.”

In the meantime, Brown can play anywhere on the field, Pennock said.

“I always tell kids not to get too married to one position because you never know if you’ll wind up on a team with an all-American at your position,” Pennock said. “It’s always good to be able to play multiple positions. Megan is very versatile. She can play anywhere on the field and do so at an elite level.”

As far as Brown is concerned, it doesn’t matter what position she plays as long as she’s on the field and getting her at-bats.

“I’ll play wherever,” Brown says with a shrug. “I like playing the outfield as much as I like pitching and I like pitching as much as I like playing any of the infield positions. It’s just good to play.”

Brown gives her summer months to the St. Louis Diamond Cats select team, but traveled with the Illinois Force to the Louisville Slugger Independence Day Tournament in Boulder, Colo. June 28 through July 5.

The team placed fifth out of 56 teams stacked with Division-I prospects from all over the country.

“She was playing against kids who will be in the Pac-10 and other big-time programs,” Pennock said. “She told me she saw her first real rise ball and was like ‘whoa.’ I know some people told her she might have some trouble, but she adjusted like elite players do and didn’t really have any problems. She belonged there.”

It was the most intense competitive experience Brown says she’s ever had.

“The atmosphere is just different because everybody was very competitive and focused,” she said. “There are no standouts because everybody is good and you won’t see a bad team there. It was exciting, though. I liked it a lot.

“It’s all fun when the lights come on.”

This story was originally published July 13, 2015 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Dupo’s super sophomore is BND’s small-school softball player of the year."