DePaul University Athletics
All About Family for Hall of Fame Inductee Liz Jagielski
1/24/2019 12:58:00 PM | ATHLETICS, SOFTBALL
CHICAGO – Family is one of the most important things - both at DePaul and at home - for former softball player and coach, Liz Bouck Jagielski.
Without the DePaul family and the support of her own family, Jagielski says her life wouldn't be where it is today – a life she has created with her husband and five kids that still revolves around the game she loves.
"My life would not even be where it is today without DePaul," Jagielski said. "They gave me the opportunity to play without having any debt. They gave me a job out of college, let me travel with my kids and let me be a mom and a coach."
Jagielski found herself as a Blue Demon thanks to her older sister Tami, and they embarked on a unique opportunity that sisters rarely get to share – playing in the Women's College World Series together.
"We're best friends," Jagielski explained. "She played first base and I played shortstop. She could sense when I was going to have a bad throw.
She would know if she had to come off the bag or not and she would jump way higher than she could to try and catch the balls that I threw wild. She was a power hitter and I was a slapper, so we were very different players. But really, I picked DePaul because of her."
Because family was so important, her professional career helped develop her career path.
Not only was the WCWS a special experience for Jagielski, DePaul imparted many valuable lessons in her 12 years at Lincoln Park.
"The people at DePaul really are my family," Jagielski said. "The main thing is I'm just grateful for everything I've been given [at DePaul]. When you get to where I'm at now, you have to look back and be grateful for all the sacrifices that everyone else made for you along the way.
"That's what I'm trying to do now – help the youth in my area get the experience that I did. I help with recruiting and placing them in a college where they can succeed."
Jagielski now coaches with the Orland Park A's Youth Organization, where her daughter Cassidy plays. The lessons she aims to impart in her players are the same ones passed on to her by Blue Demon coach Eugene Lenti.
"We played fearlessly," Jagielski said. "I think that's the one thing Eug instilled in all of us – you were fearless. You had the same intensity playing at Wish Field as playing in a World Series game because you always wanted to prove to him that you should be on the field. It didn't matter who was in the stands."
That fearless nature came through when she was hired right out of college as one of DePaul's two assistant coaches alongside her former teammate and good friend Lindsay Chouinard.
That was a relationship built from the ground up as they not only challenged each other on the field but teamed up on recruiting efforts and traveling the country together as coaches.
"We're best of friends still to this day," Jagielski said. "She was a huge reason I became a better hitter. We always challenged each other. Recruiting was easy with her because we'd go together as best friends.
We'd be able to communicate really well and Eug trusted us both. He hired us both right out of college which was a big deal because all of the support we had for each other showed – we have played together in a WCWS and then to get there as coaches [was amazing]."
As assistant coaches, their most fearless games came against powerhouse Oklahoma in the 2007 Super Regional.
As they drove into undefeated enemy territory, fans in Norman were chanting at the DePaul bus. Jagielski knows they thought "for sure" they weren't going to lose.
"We went in there and beat them twice on their home field to go to the World Series," she said. "That was a bigger stage than the World Series, probably, with the fans and how much they were into it. We beat them back-to-back. It was awesome."
They also had experience playing professionally, so working together came naturally.
Jagielski was drafted by Arizona and then traded to Texas for one season, where Chouinard happened to be playing.
That fearlessness was reflected in her career stats as well. At the end of her four-year career, Jagielski has left an imprint on the history books. She sits second all-time in career stolen bases and defensive chances. She holds third place in all-time sacrifices, fourth in all-time career hits and runs and fifth in turning double plays.
Being inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame isn't all that new to Jagielski, as the 2000 WCWS team was inducted in 2017. This individual recognition is just as special.
"I really believe this is a team effort, honestly, because for example Lindsay Chouinard made me better each day," Jagielski said. "I don't think I could've been the player I was without my teammates. I don't think this is ever an honor you get by yourself because my parents support was a huge factor for me to play at my best all the time."
Growing up, her parents fostered a household that revolved heavily around sports. As a family, playing a sport collegiately was almost expected and something that brought them closer together.
"My parents had played in college, so they were always encouraging and never hard on us," Jagielski said. "Maybe because they knew what it felt like to be a player, so anytime we failed they would pick us back up. Sports is a part of our life, but the gratitude our parents instilled in all of us is the main thing I took out of playing sports - to be grateful and to help others."
Without the DePaul family and the support of her own family, Jagielski says her life wouldn't be where it is today – a life she has created with her husband and five kids that still revolves around the game she loves.
"My life would not even be where it is today without DePaul," Jagielski said. "They gave me the opportunity to play without having any debt. They gave me a job out of college, let me travel with my kids and let me be a mom and a coach."
Jagielski found herself as a Blue Demon thanks to her older sister Tami, and they embarked on a unique opportunity that sisters rarely get to share – playing in the Women's College World Series together.
"We're best friends," Jagielski explained. "She played first base and I played shortstop. She could sense when I was going to have a bad throw.
She would know if she had to come off the bag or not and she would jump way higher than she could to try and catch the balls that I threw wild. She was a power hitter and I was a slapper, so we were very different players. But really, I picked DePaul because of her."
Because family was so important, her professional career helped develop her career path.
Not only was the WCWS a special experience for Jagielski, DePaul imparted many valuable lessons in her 12 years at Lincoln Park.
"The people at DePaul really are my family," Jagielski said. "The main thing is I'm just grateful for everything I've been given [at DePaul]. When you get to where I'm at now, you have to look back and be grateful for all the sacrifices that everyone else made for you along the way.
"That's what I'm trying to do now – help the youth in my area get the experience that I did. I help with recruiting and placing them in a college where they can succeed."
Jagielski now coaches with the Orland Park A's Youth Organization, where her daughter Cassidy plays. The lessons she aims to impart in her players are the same ones passed on to her by Blue Demon coach Eugene Lenti.
"We played fearlessly," Jagielski said. "I think that's the one thing Eug instilled in all of us – you were fearless. You had the same intensity playing at Wish Field as playing in a World Series game because you always wanted to prove to him that you should be on the field. It didn't matter who was in the stands."
That fearless nature came through when she was hired right out of college as one of DePaul's two assistant coaches alongside her former teammate and good friend Lindsay Chouinard.
That was a relationship built from the ground up as they not only challenged each other on the field but teamed up on recruiting efforts and traveling the country together as coaches.
"We're best of friends still to this day," Jagielski said. "She was a huge reason I became a better hitter. We always challenged each other. Recruiting was easy with her because we'd go together as best friends.
We'd be able to communicate really well and Eug trusted us both. He hired us both right out of college which was a big deal because all of the support we had for each other showed – we have played together in a WCWS and then to get there as coaches [was amazing]."
As assistant coaches, their most fearless games came against powerhouse Oklahoma in the 2007 Super Regional.
As they drove into undefeated enemy territory, fans in Norman were chanting at the DePaul bus. Jagielski knows they thought "for sure" they weren't going to lose.
"We went in there and beat them twice on their home field to go to the World Series," she said. "That was a bigger stage than the World Series, probably, with the fans and how much they were into it. We beat them back-to-back. It was awesome."
They also had experience playing professionally, so working together came naturally.
Jagielski was drafted by Arizona and then traded to Texas for one season, where Chouinard happened to be playing.
That fearlessness was reflected in her career stats as well. At the end of her four-year career, Jagielski has left an imprint on the history books. She sits second all-time in career stolen bases and defensive chances. She holds third place in all-time sacrifices, fourth in all-time career hits and runs and fifth in turning double plays.
Being inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame isn't all that new to Jagielski, as the 2000 WCWS team was inducted in 2017. This individual recognition is just as special.
"I really believe this is a team effort, honestly, because for example Lindsay Chouinard made me better each day," Jagielski said. "I don't think I could've been the player I was without my teammates. I don't think this is ever an honor you get by yourself because my parents support was a huge factor for me to play at my best all the time."
Growing up, her parents fostered a household that revolved heavily around sports. As a family, playing a sport collegiately was almost expected and something that brought them closer together.
"My parents had played in college, so they were always encouraging and never hard on us," Jagielski said. "Maybe because they knew what it felt like to be a player, so anytime we failed they would pick us back up. Sports is a part of our life, but the gratitude our parents instilled in all of us is the main thing I took out of playing sports - to be grateful and to help others."
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