2 days ago
Forget pitch clocks. Jonny Rossi works fast for state-bound Benet. ‘I do kind of mess with people.' And win.
Benet senior Jonny Rossi pitches like a guy who has somewhere to go.
In the process, he has helped take the Redwings to a place they've never been.
'I work a little bit different than everyone else,' Rossi said. 'I work fast, so I do kind of mess with people. I like to do that. It's kind of my thing.
'It wasn't always that, but I kind of embraced it and use it to my effectiveness.'
Rossi doesn't let any moss grow when he's on the mound. The Webster commit wastes no time between pitches, much to the delight of his teammates and fans.
'I've always liked when Jonny pitches just because he's always working quick,' Benet senior infielder Merrick Sullivan said. 'When he's on his game, it's 1-2-3, and we're right back in the dugout.
'I'm a big fan of him working quick. Most of the time it works for him, so I love it.'
There has been a lot to love about Rossi's performance for the Redwings (26-12), who have advanced to the state semifinals for the first time and will play Cary-Grove (25-12) in Class 3A at the Joliet Slammers' Duly Health and Care Field at 1 p.m. Friday.
An All-East Suburban Catholic Conference pick, Rossi is 6-0 with one save and has a 2.20 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings.
'We talk with a lot of our pitchers about getting into a rhythm, a nice pace, which Jonny does,' Benet co-coach Jorge Acosta said. 'He sometimes goes a little too fast, so he's probably the one where sometimes we have to tell him to slow down a little bit, like. 'Hey, man, let's breathe through two pitches.'
'But when he gets in a good rhythm, he works fast, infielders stay in it, our dugout stays in it. I think it's to his advantage because he's able to throw multiple pitches and keep you off balance.'
On Monday, Rossi did exactly that. He allowed only one run over 5 1/3 innings in Benet's 6-3 victory over Washington in the Geneseo Supersectional.
'It was super fun,' Rossi said. 'I really enjoy playing in big games with a lot of people there.
'Obviously, we had never won that game before, so it was a cool chance to make history, and we came through.'
Rossi pitched at his customary pace against Washington, although he was oblivious at times to the effect.
'One of the pitches I threw was a flyout to right,' he said. 'Our first baseman, Quinn, was like, 'I was turned around.'
'Most of the time I don't even realize that. I'm so go-go-go, sometimes the fielders are a little off balance. But it's fun. I think they sort of embrace it too.'
Slow pitchers can cause fielders to lose focus, but that's rarely the case when Rossi pitches.
'When I'm in the field, I feel confident when he's on the mound,' Sullivan said. 'I'm always ready for a ball, but I'm confident that he's going to get a lot of weak contact and a lot of bloops in the air.
'He's been a great leader all throughout the year. He's been tough as nails, so I'm loving it.'
Rossi, in turn, is grateful for his defense. He can throw three pitches for strikes, including the change-up, which is his favorite.
'I don't throw 90 to 95 (mph),' he said. 'I'm not going to strike out 15 a game or something crazy. So I just rely on my fielders, and they do an awesome job. Merrick made some awesome plays at third.'
Rossi has been Benet's No. 3 starter this season but would be a No. 1 or No. 2 on many teams, according to Acosta. The Redwings have two Division I recruits: senior left-hander Jake Rifenburg, a Northwestern commit slated to start Friday, and senior right-hander Gino Zagorac, a Wichita State commit.
'It's been a good setup for us,' Acosta said. 'He has accepted his role, which helps. A lot of times it's hard for kids to kind of buy into that, but these guys are all really good friends.
'He's a kid that we have ultimate confidence in regardless if it's a bullpen or a start.'
The Redwings are two wins away from the ultimate prize, their first state title.
'It would be awesome,' Rossi said. 'We sort of knew coming into this year that we had a chance.
'We had our rough patches. We kept working, and we're making a run.'
