Lauren Sniezek is not her twin sister.
Katie Sniezek has been one of the best shortstops in Class 4A softball for several years now. She started varsity as an eighth-grader and she is a multi-time all-state performer who has helped Gilbert reach the regional finals three years in a row.
Katie is an ultra-competitive athlete who wants to get every detail right and succeed on every play.
Lauren is much more laid back.
She saw her first extensive varsity time at the end of last season when first baseman Emma Latterell went down with a season-ending injury. Lauren wants to win just like her sister, but she is far less aggressive in her approach to the game and in how she handles certain situations.
“I would say I’m 10 times more competitive,” Katie said. “I care a lot more about the little things. She is more of the encouraging, ‘You got it’ person.”
The twins spent a lot of their time growing up going in different directions. When they were younger, they would host birthday parties with entirely different sets of friends.
That difference is a good thing, according to their mother and Gilbert softball coach Staci Sniezek.
“It’s a nice balance,” Staci said. “Twins can be pretty competitive, but Lauren’s never grown up having to compare herself to Katie. They have taken a different path, but they’re still best friends.”
Now that Lauren has become a full-time varsity starter at first base, Katie appreciates having her twin there to dig some of her throws out of the dirt to get the out and help the Tigers win.
“On the field, I’d say she always has your back,” Katie said. “You can throw wherever and she’ll make a good effort to come get it. Outside of the lines, I’d say she’s one of the best teammates. She works hard in and out of practice. She’s always picking up her teammates and doing the right thing.”
Though she may not be as competitive an athlete as her twin, Lauren loves and knows the game of softball.
Some of her first memories are watching her mom lead Ballard to the 2012 state championship. She grew up around the game, and because of her mother, she could not help but embrace the sport.
“I’ve been on the field a lot because of my mom,” Lauren said. “You can tell her what you like, dislike — she has a really good personality where you can just laugh at anything.”
That is why when Latterell went down last year, there was no panic in the dugout. Lauren stepped right in and immediately became a valuable contributor.
She ended up hitting .301 in 83 at-bats with three doubles and 15 RBIs. In the field, Lauren only made four errors in 125 chances playing primarily at first.
In the dugout and off the field, she was one of the first people to encourage and support her teammates when they did well, and after they made a mistake.
That is just her nature as a person.
“She’s always pumping us up,” said Gilbert pitcher Clara Newton. “She’s always helping us get into the right place.”
Lauren wants to do even more during her senior year.
“I feel like I’m more in a leader role than I have been in the past,” Lauren said. “I’m just more comfortable being there. I’m more of a communicator than I was before.”
Lauren went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run during Gilbert’s 8-0 win over Waterloo East to open the season on May 18 at Gilbert. She drew a walk and made a nice catch in foul territory near the first base dugout for an out during the Tigers’ 10-0 loss to 5A Urbandale on May 26.
Her twin sister might grab the headlines, but Lauren has done a nice job of carving out her own niche on the team.
“Growing up, the parents used to call her big money,” Staci said. “She’s not flashy, but she’ll come up with some big hits at some big times.”
Their teammates appreciate both of them equally.
“Honestly, I don’t really know the difference,” Newton said. “They’re both really good. It’s awesome having both of them out there.”
Gilbert opened the 2026 season ranked No. 15 in 4A by the IGHSAU. The rough night against Urbandale has not deterred the Tigers’ ambitions for the season.
After falling short against eventual state champion Pella in the regional finals last season and North Polk in each of the two prior seasons, Gilbert wants to get over the hump.
It will not be easy. Urbandale showed that the Tigers still have plenty of things to work on as they head into the always-daunting Raccoon River Conference schedule.
But with players like Lauren stepping up to fill a needed role and make valuable contributions, Gilbert will have a shot.
Those early memories of their father, Randy Sniezek, not allowing them to go to the concession stand until the fourth inning of games when their mother was coaching, and being with Staci when Ballard was celebrating its state title 14 years ago, still resonate with the twins. Now they will work together to try and create their own magic at Gilbert.
“All of those times they followed me everywhere when I was coaching at Ballard and sat in the stands — they watched,” Staci said. “There are things that both of them do that I didn’t teach them. They just watched at some point… You don’t know at the time, but it proved valuable.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Lauren Sniezek is carving out her own niche for Gilbert softball
Reporting by Joe Randleman, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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