The Illinois-Chicago softball team is not looking forward to seeing Northwestern junior centerfielder Erin Jancic in Wednesday’s doubleheader at Flames Field.

But they are dreading “The Stick” even more.

“The Stick” is the nickname of Jancic’s favorite bat, but it is not just a normal aluminum bat.

Jancic’s first time at the plate with “The Stick” came last year against Illinois-Chicago. The Wildcats were winning handily and Jancic’s teammates pushed her to try out the new bat. Jancic gave it quite a test run, sending a Flames pitch over the fence for a grand slam, her first collegiate home run. The Cats won 15-1 and Jancic has used “The Stick” ever since.

Last year’s home run wasn’t the only time Jancic torched Illinois-Chicago. As a freshman, she went 4-for-4 with three doubles and four RBIs against the Flames.

But Illinois-Chicago shouldn’t feel too bad. Jancic has found success at the plate against most of the teams she has faced.

“Sometimes people just tend to hit some teams better than others,” coach Sharon Drysdale said. “Erin hits well against anybody. She pays attention to what her swing feels like.”

Jancic’s sweet stroke didn’t materialize overnight. It has taken years of practice and a lot of swings in the batting cages to develop.

With her swing, Jancic has hit over .300 for her career at NU. She batted .337 with 27 RBIs as a freshman and .318 with 37 RBIs as a sophomore.

But for all her abilities, Jancic’s season has not been a trot around the bases. She injured her shoulder diving for a ball as a freshman and finally had surgery on it in the fall.

“I still don’t feel like it’s back to where it was,” Jancic said. “There are some days you can just feel it.”

Jancic’s shoulder problems led to some early-season struggles, but lately she has heated up at the plate. She is hitting .328 with eight RBIs so far this year.

“She’s really clutch and really consistent,” said sophomore rightfielder Brett Nakabayashi, who hits right before Jancic in the lineup. “She gets the right hits at the right time.”

Michigan is one of many opposing teams that would agree with Nakabayashi. Jancic provided the Cats only offense with a solo home run in a 1-0 victory over the Wolverines last year.

And when she’s not beating teams with her bat, Jancic is running down fly balls in centerfield. As important as her athleticism is, Jancic’s best attribute in the outfield is her vocal direction of Nakabayashi and leftfielder Rane Gunderson.

“She’s a good centerfielder because centerfield is about good communication,” Nakabayashi said. “She communicates really well with both Rane and I. She just has a good knowledge of the game.”

Jancic’s contributions aren’t limited to the outfield, either. With only one senior on the squad – and none starting in the field – she has provided much-needed leadership for the Cats.

“I try to help the younger players one-to-one rather than get on my soapbox,” Jancic said. “I try to lead by example.”

If the younger players continue to follow Jancic’s lead, maybe Illinois-Chicago should hope that NU hasn’t bought any new bats lately.