5 Things to Know about Lincoln-Way East graduate/College World Series clinching pitcher Alex Storako

What a finish to what an amateur career for Alex Storako.

Storako, who grew up in Bourbonnais and is a 2018 Lincoln-Way East graduate, closed out her college career Thursday by pitching the win as Oklahoma defeated Florida State 3-1 in Oklahoma City to sweep the Women’s College World Series and complete a national championship three-peat for the powerhouse Sooners.

The senior graduate transfer worked four innings Thursday, allowing one earned run on a solo homer while striking out two.

Here are five things to know about Storako, including her local heroics before taking the national stage:

1. She was a 2-time Herald-News Softball Player of the Year

After playing the first half of her high school career at Bishop McNamara in Kankakee, Storako transferred to Lincoln-Way East and made an immediate – and giant – impact.

Her 22-3 record with a 0.86 ERA (plus .419 batting average with 35 RBIs) led the Griffins to the Class 4A state championship game. Although they lost 1-0 to Oak Park-River Forest to finish as runners-up, Storako and her batterymate, catcher Christine Malito, were the Herald-News Softball Co-Players of the Year.

The next year she repeated the feat, winning our Player of the Year honor outright with a 20-2 record, 0.76 ERA, .439 batting average and 31 RBIs.

2. We weren’t the only ones honoring her

In addition to the Herald-News accolades, Storako also took home prestigious honors such as 2017 MaxPreps Underclass All-American in 2017, 2018 MaxPreps All-America first team in 2018, was a four-time Illinois Coaches Association All-State selection and a member of the National Honor Society.

3. Before she was a Sooner, she was a Wolverine

After high school, Storako moved on to star at the University of Michigan. In her four seasons with the Wolverines, she compiled a 69-20 pitching record with a 1.17 ERA and 901 strikeouts against 192 walks and 321 hits allowed. She pitched 30 combined complete games her junior and senior seasons of 2021 and 2022 and brought home multiple Big Ten Conference honors such as being named first-team All-Big Ten, Academic All-Big Ten and the 2021 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year.

4. Her one-and-done season at Oklahoma was nothing short of magical

As a senior graduate transfer to Oklahoma, Storako did more of the same in Crimson and Cream. Adding in her Women’s College World Series-clinching victory, Storako finished her season with the national champions posting an 18-0 record with a 1.15 ERA and 108 strikeouts over 103 2/3 innings worked.

5. But the Women’s College World Series is not the end

The end of her college career is not the end of Storako’s softball career.

Far from it.

The Lincoln-Way East graduate was the first overall pick in May’s World Professional Fastpitch League Draft, selected by the Oklahoma City Spark. The league is in its second year of existence.

If history is any guide to how she’ll do as a pro, you’ll be seeing more heroics in the circle from Alex Storako for years to come.