Luke Kavois helps Stagg submarine Lincoln-Way West for first regional title since 2019. ‘I'm not a flamethrower.'

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

Basically out of necessity, junior right-hander Luke Kavois tried a different approach for Stagg.
The results for the unorthodox pitcher have proven to be unlikely and fortuitous — and stunning.
'I'm not a flamethrower,' said Kavois, who made his first career high school start on the mound Saturday at any level. 'I throw from a funny style that really started almost as a joke.
'The game plan was to throw strikes, get pop-ups and groundouts and trust my teammates.'
That trust paid off. Kavois flummoxed second-seeded Lincoln-Way West on a two-hitter as the host Chargers pulled off another upset with a 4-1 win in the Class 4A Stagg Regional final.
Junior outfielder William Houston had two hits, scored a run and came up with a big RBI single for the 12th-seeded Chargers (10-27), who advanced to play at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Providence (25-12) in a Lincoln-Way West Sectional semifinal in New Lenox.
Senior shortstop Andrew Speh added a two-run single and struck out two in 1 1/3 innings of relief as Stagg won its first regional title since 2019. Kavois also scattered two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Senior outfielder Conor Essenburg hit a home run in the seventh for Lincoln-Way West (29-8), which averted a shutout after beating the Chargers by a combined 29-2 in two conference games.
While the Warriors committed three errors and managed only five hits overall, Kavois' performance was a revelation. He didn't get a strikeout but provided compelling inspiration for his teammates.
'To see what he did after what he has come back is just awesome,' Houston said. 'I've known him since we were 5. He's always been awesome. He's so competitive and always wants to win.'
The amazing story of Kavois' recovery from a frightening injury echoed Stagg's astonishing upset.
'We were playing in Myrtle Beach over spring break and I was in left field,' Kavois said. 'Instead of a warning track, they had a hill. I tried to make a great catch, tripped on the hill, landed on my wrist and smashed my head against the wood wall.'
The diagnosis? Kavois suffered a broken right wrist and a concussion. Despite having to wear a cast for six weeks, he still pitched every day to maintain his arm strength.
He was rewarded Saturday for his diligence and toughness.
'I love our pitching staff, but the only way we beat West was the guy who started today,' Stagg coach Matt O'Neill said. 'We beat St. Rita in 2008 throwing a knuckleballer.
'Today was similar to that. The only way to win was to have an unorthodox thrower.'
Kavois' fastball has never been timed at more than 75-77 mph. At the age of 14, almost as a lark, he began experimenting with the submarine style, the equivalent to skipping stones.
Instead of an overhanded or three-quarter motion, Kavois starts his delivery beneath his waist. His body is almost parallel to the ground upon his release.
'I'd be in the bullpen, catching other pitchers, and I just started playing around with it,' he said. 'What I saw was, whenever I did it, people really liked watching me because it's so different.'
The horizontal and vertical drops of the ball threw off the timing and rhythm of the Warriors. With his background as a catcher, Kavois also has a unique perspective to the science of pitching.
'Whenever I catch, I always notice what guys are doing up at the plate and if they're getting out in front of the ball,' Kavois said. 'I always know what to look for.'
The injury, the comeback and the throwing style continued the Chargers' Cinderella run.
'Right now, it just feels like everybody's hot,' Kavois said. 'It's the last year for our coach. We're manufacturing runs. Everybody's bought in, and right now, it's this great family atmosphere.'