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Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Xavier recruit Luke Mensik shows he's no longer little brother as Lincoln-Way Central outduels Andrew. ‘Deserves it.'
Luke Mensik has always been the little brother in a dynamic baseball duo he's formed with his brother, Landon. Landon, who graduated last year from Lincoln-Way Central, is now playing at Xavier. Luke is set to join him there next year. For now, however, Luke is enjoying the perspective that has developed in his one season without his sibling by his side. 'It's 100% a different feeling,' Mensik said. 'I always grew up playing on Landon's teams. I was always in his shadow a little bit. I was always with his friends and stuff like that. 'I love playing with him and that's why I'm going to play with him next year, but having this year without him, it's also cool to have the spotlight to myself a little bit.' That spotlight has never shined brighter on Luke than it did Saturday. The senior right-hander was brilliant, tossing a one-hitter and striking out eight to lift the Knights to a 1-0 win over the host Thunderbolts in the Class 4A Andrew Regional championship game in Tinley Park. Luke Tingley went 3-for-3 for fourth-seeded Lincoln-Way Central (21-10). Conor McCabe singled and scored the lone run, while Toledo recruit Liam Arsich added a single and a walk. The Knights, who won their second straight regional title, will take on top-seeded Lincoln-Way East (27-10) at 4 p.m. Wednesday in a Lincoln-Way West Sectional semifinal in New Lenox. Caden Kendall threw six strong innings for fifth-seeded Andrew (25-12), striking out five and allowing only an unearned run on six hits. 'I used to work out with him a little bit,' Mensik said of Kendall. 'I'm really just happy for him to be a junior and throw that great of a game at this time of the year. He's going places. 'It's fun being in a pitching battle like that. I'm always just trying to outduel the other guy, and in the end, that's what I did.' Caden Kendall's twin brother, Nolan, had the only hit for the Thunderbolts on a bunt single. Mensik faced the minimum 21 batters. Nolan Kendall's single was followed by a double play. Andrew's only other base runner came on an error and was erased by a caught stealing. Senior catcher Cade Andrews saw Mensik in total control all day. 'It was awesome,' Andrews said. 'Everything I called, he was able to put it in the zone. When you do that, you're going to give your defense opportunities or just strike them out. He was unreal.' The Knights got the only run they would need in the fourth inning. Tingley came up with runners at first and second and two outs and produced an infield single. An error on the play allowed McCabe to come home. 'I was just sticking with my approach and trying to drive it to the opposite field,' Tingley said. 'I was just trying to do whatever I can to get the run in, do my job and help the team.' Mensik did the rest, improving to 3-2 with a 0.66 ERA. He's allowed only four runs over 42 1/3 innings. Lincoln-Way Central coach Ryan Kutt always has faith in his ace. 'Luke's been a leader for us for quite some time now,' Kutt said. 'We leaned on him last year. We even leaned on him as a sophomore. But for him to have the ability to come out there in the seventh inning, up 1-0 in a game like this and be lights out says everything about him. 'He deserves it and I'm just happy for him.' Mensik has taken that leadership role more seriously this year. And he feels his biggest improvement has been in attitude. 'In past years, I let emotions get the best of me,' Mensik said. 'This year, I just hunkered down on throwing strikes, letting my defense help me and staying even keeled the whole time instead of riding the highs and lows.'
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Baseball and softball scores scores for the Southland, Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Lake County
High school and local college results and highlights from the Southland, Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Lake County coverage RESULTS HIGH SCHOOLS BASEBALL CLASS 3A REGIONAL SEMIFINAL ST. LAURENCE Tinley Park 2, Crete-Monee 0 Tinley (18-16): Austin Brazitis 6 IP, 2 H, 8 Ks. Danny Weed 2-for-3, double, run, RBI. GIRLS SOCCER CLASS 3A SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS FREMD Libertyville 2, Fremd 1 GLENBARD WEST Wheaton Warrenville South 6, St. Charles North 0 JOLIET WEST Lincoln-Way East 3, Lincoln-Way Central 0 NAPERVILLE NORTH Naperville North 2, Neuqua Valley 1 Naperville North (15-5-3): Claire DeCook 2 goals. CLASS 2A SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP KANKAKEE Providence 3, St. Laurence 1 SOFTBALL CLASS 4A REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ANDREW Lincoln-Way West 2, Andrew 0 BENET Marist 10, Benet 0 (5 innings) Marist (33-2): Lexi Kyros 3-for-4, 3-run HR, 5 RBIs. Bree Hanik 2-for-4, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs. Ellie Holmstrom 3-for-3, 2 runs, RBI. BUFFALO GROVE Mundelein 6, Libertyville 0 GLENBARD NORTH St. Charles East 6, Glenbard North 4 St. Charles East (21-15): Addison Wolf 3 RBIs. GLENBROOK NORTH Stevenson 10, Palatine 0 HAMPSHIRE Hampshire 10, Harlem 2 JOLIET WEST Lincoln-Way East 9, Plainfield South 5 Lincoln-Way East (28-7): Maddie Henry 2 2-run HRs. Mia Balta 3 RBIs. Audrey Bullock 2 RBIs. LAKE ZURICH Barrington 7, Lake Zurich 2 Lake Zurich (15-19-1): Claire Kohlman RBI. LINCOLN-WAY CENTRAL Lincoln-Way Central 10, Homewood-Flossmoor 0 (5 innings) Lincoln-Way Central (33-1): Lisabella Dimitrijevic CG, 2 H, 14 Ks; 2-for-2, double, HR, 3 RBIs. Mia Degliomini 3-for-3, double, triple, run, 2 RBIs. MCHENRY Huntley 4, Grant 2 NEW TRIER Loyola 6, Warren 2 OSWEGO EAST Oswego 6, Neuqua Valley 0 ROLLING MEADOWS St. Charles North 8, Glenbard West 0 St. Charles North (22-9): Paige Murray CG, H; 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBIs. Julianna Kouba 2-for-4, double, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. Ella Heimbuch 3-for-3, double, 2 runs. SHEPARD Lockport 2, Shepard 0 Lockport (28-9): Kelcie McGraw 6 IP, H, 13 Ks. Taylor Lane 2-run single. SOUTH ELGIN South Elgin 2, Lake Park 1 South Elgin (28-4): Anna Kiel CG, 8 Ks. Chloe Richards solo HR. Amber Gnutek double, RBI. YORK York 3, Reavis 0 YORKVILLE Yorkville 1, Plainfield East 0 Yorkville (24-12): Isabella Rosauer (W) 2.1 IP in relief, 0 H, 3 Ks. Ellie Fox RBI single. CLASS 3A REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS CARMEL Carmel 11, Amundsen 3 (6 innings) Carmel (19-9): Kaitlyn Konen 2-for-3, HR, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. Grace Brown 2-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. Grace King 2-for-3, triple, HR, 3 RBIs. CARY-GROVE Antioch 6, Cary-Grove 3 DE LA SALLE De La Salle 12, Hancock 0 (5 innings) De La Salle (25-10): Abby Trendle CG, 6Ks; 2-for-3, double, 2 runs, RBI. Lilah Serrano run, 2 RBIs. EVERGREEN PARK Evergreen Park 15, Payton 0 (4 innings) Evergreen (18-14): Layne Schillo CG, H, 6 Ks. Grace Fontaine 3-run HR, 5 RBIs. Addison Mrskos 2 runs, 2 RBIs. GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL Resurrection 8, Grayslake Central 6 Grayslake Central (15-15): Autumn Aliff 4-for-4, double, triple, 4 runs, RBI. Emma Andrews 2-for-4, run, RBI. LAKES Grayslake North 10, Lakes 0 (5 innings) Grayslake North (17-11): Riley O'Brien CG, H, 11 Ks; triple, 2 RBIs. Brena Dalton 3-for-3, double, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. Jane Pritchard 2-for-2, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. LEMONT Lemont 21, T.F. North 0 OAK FOREST Tinley Park 8, Oak Forest 2 ST. LAURENCE St. Laurence 15, Kennedy 0 (4 innings) St. Laurence (22-7): Viviana Chavez 2 RBIs. Aoibhe Landers 2 RBIs. WOODSTOCK NORTH Crystal Lake Central 4, Kaneland 3 Kaneland (24-13): Addison Coulter 2 solo HRs. CLASS 2A SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SENECA Beecher 1, Seneca 0 Beecher (34-2): Taylor Norkus CG, H, 10 Ks. Ava Lorenzatti HR. THURSDAY'S RESULTS HIGH SCHOOLS BASEBALL CLASS 4A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS ANDREW Andrew 10, Shepard 0 (6 innings) BATAVIA St. Charles North 10, Batavia 2 FREMD Lake Zurich 9, Warren 4 Lake Zurich (24-11): Alex Toth 3 RBIs. GRANT Dundee-Crown 4, Grant 0 Dundee-Crown (15-20): Jared Russell CG, 5 H, 11 Ks. Hayden DeMarsh RBI. Ryan Pierce run. HOFFMAN ESTATES Highland Park 3, Rolling Meadows 1 Highland Park (24-10-1): Ben Lichtenfeld CG, 2 H, ER; RBI. Luke Giese 2 runs. JOLIET WEST Joliet West 2, Richards 1 Richards (23-9): Ozzie Lopez run. Carter Gillen RBI. MCHENRY Jacobs 10, Streamwood 0 Jacobs (16-19): Ryan Tucker double, 3 RBIs. Aaden Colon 3 RBIs. NAZARETH Oak Lawn 4, Riverside-Brookfield 1 Oak Lawn (23-13): John Olejniczak CG, 7 K; 2-for-3, double, RBI. Justin Canvin 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs. Jackson Hilger 2-for-4, run. PLAINFIELD NORTH Oswego 4, Naperville North 1 Oswego (21-14): Andrew Ronen 6.2 IP, ER, 7 Ks. Dylan King HR. PROSPECT Prospect 8, Stevenson 7 (8 innings) Stevenson (16-19): Frank Costabile 2 doubles, 3 RBIs. Jordan Levine solo HR. Ryan Harris solo HR. ST. CHARLES EAST St. Charles East 3, Lake Park 2 St. Charles East (15-18): Joey Arend CG, 9 Ks. James Feigleson 2 runs. Ryan McGrew RBI. SANDBURG Homewood-Flossmoor 4, Sandburg 3 (8 innings) STAGG Stagg 9, Marist 7 (11 innings) WAUBONSIE VALLEY Waubonsie Valley 7, Naperville Central 1 Waubonsie (19-12): Owen Roberts CG, 3 H, 0 ER, 10 Ks. Danny McGuigan 3-for-4, 2 doubles, run, 4 RBIs. Nate Cerilli 3-for-3, run, RBI. WILLOWBROOK Bartlett 9, Wheaton Warrenville South 8 Bartlett (18-16-1): Vince Kamarat GW single scored Austin Daubenmire in bottom 7th. Alex Bihun 3 RBIs. Vince Yario 2-for-4, run, 2 RBIs. YORKVILLE Romeoville 6, Yorkville 1 Yorkville (16-17): Kal Antzen RBI. Aaron Klemm run. CLASS 3A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS ANTIOCH Antioch 9, Carmel 4 Antioch (23-12-1): Dylan Feldkamp grand slam. BROOKS Morgan Park 20, Chicago Vocational 1 CRYSTAL LAKE SOUTH Crystal Lake Central 5, Lakes 1 Lakes (21-14): Zach Raffone run. DEERFIELD St. Viator 3, Deerfield 2 Deerfield (15-21): Ethan Katz 2-for-3, double, run. HINSDALE SOUTH Hinsdale South 10, Bremen 0 (6 innings) KANELAND Kaneland 3, Wheaton Academy 1 Kaneland (25-10): Aidan Whitlin run, RBI. Tom Thill RBI. MORRIS LaSalle-Peru 17, Plano 2 (4 innings) Plano (11-22): Eric Nunez run. Brandon Ramos run. PAYTON Payton 11, Thornridge 0 (5 innings) PRAIRIE RIDGE Lake Forest 10, Wauconda 4 Lake Forest (17-16): Blink Hartline 2-for-5, run, 4 RBIs. Stephen Cole run, 3 RBIs. Jack Lamberti 3-for-5, 2 runs. ST. RITA Marian Catholic 10, Solorio 3 Marian (14-22): Jazarris Mackmore 4-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 3 runs, 2 RBIs. Alex Kvasnicka 2 RBIs. Matt Rusin 2 runs. WHEATON ST. FRANCIS Montini 4, Marmion 2 (8 innings) Marmion (22-13-1): Ethan Flores 2-for-3, 2-run HR. CLASS 2A SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL BEECHER Wilmington 7, Chicago Christian 2 Chicago Christian (24-11): Micah Buikema RBI. BOYS VOLLEYBALL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BOLINGBROOK Neuqua Valley d. Bolingbrook 25-23, 22-25, 25-17 CARMEL Libertyville d. Grayslake Central 25-19, 25-15 DE LA SALLE Jones d. De La Salle 25-17, 25-12 GLENBROOK SOUTH Lake Zurich d. Glenbrook South 26-28, 25-22, 25-16 Lake Zurich (35-3): Gabe Schwartz 11 kills. Wyatt Jones 8 kills, 15 assists. Konrad Bochonko 8 kills. IMSA Wheaton North d. Marmion 25-14, 25-19 LINCOLN-WAY EAST Lincoln-Way East d. Andrew 25-20, 25-16 Lincoln-Way East (31-6): Matt Muehlnickel 9 kills, 4 digs. Joey Abbeduto 6 kills. Will Hubatch 13 assists. MANSUETO Mount Carmel d. Kenwood 25-22, 25-18 MARIST Marist d. St. Rita 25-13, 25-12 NEW TRIER New Trier d. Mundelein 25-20, 20-25, 25-19 OAK PARK-RIVER FOREST Oak Park-River Forest d. Stagg 25-12, 25-21 OSWEGO Benet d. Oswego 25-20, 25-14 REAVIS Reavis d. Brother Rice 25-15, 25-18 RICH TOWNSHIP Lincoln-Way Central d. Homewood-Flossmoor 25-21, 25-20 ROCKFORD BOYLAN Rockford Guilford d. Streamwood 25-23, 25-20 ST. CHARLES EAST Wheaton Warrenville South d. St. Charles East 25-19, 25-20 SANDBURG Sandburg d. Riverside-Brookfield 25-19, 25-20 VERNON HILLS Barrington d. Stevenson 25-22, 25-16 SOFTBALL CLASS 4A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS GLENBARD NORTH St. Charles East 13, Elk Grove 3 (5 innings) St. Charles East (20-15): Holly Smith HR, 4 RBIs. Addison Wolf 3 runs, RBI. NAPERVILLE CENTRAL West Aurora 5, Naperville Central 4 CLASS 3A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS CARMEL Carmel 24, Northtown 1 (4 innings) LAKES Lakes 1, Wauconda 0 (11 innings) Lakes (12-12): Eryn Oleson 21 Ks. Emily Ovaska GW RBI in bottom 11th.
Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Toledo recruit Liam Arsich sparks Lincoln-Way Central with three triples and three runs. ‘Never done that before.'
You could understand if Lincoln-Way Central's Liam Arsich was a bit tired Wednesday night. The Toledo-bound senior outfielder did a lot of sprinting around the bases, after all. Three triples worth, to be exact. 'That's the most running I've probably ever done in a game, to be honest with you,' Arsich said. 'I've never done that before. I was seeing the ball well, and I just tried to stick with my approach and drive it the other way. 'I wasn't going for three triples, but it just happened.' Arsich scored after all three triples, too. He also drove in a run, sparking the Knights to a 5-0 win over T.F. South in a Class 4A Andrew Regional semifinal in Tinley Park. Conor McCabe had a double, two RBIs and a run and Cade Andrews added an RBI double for fourth-seeded Lincoln-Way Central (20-10), which will play at 11 a.m. Saturday in the regional final against the winner of Thursday's semifinal between Andrew (24-11) and Shepard (13-16-2). Alex Panos struck out 10 in five shutout innings to earn the win, allowing four hits and two walks. 'I was trying to feel my stuff out early, attack guys and stay ahead in counts,' Panos said. 'I wanted to let them hit it and just rely on my teammates.' Blake Sims singled and drew a walk for 13th-seeded T.F. South (13-21-2). Juan Lozano, Abraham Serna and Kyle Smith each contributed a single. Arsich, meanwhile, tripled in each of his first three at-bats, starting in the first inning when he scored on an error to give the Knights a quick lead. He was ready to set the tone to begin his final postseason as a Knight. 'It's sad knowing I'm coming down to my last games of high school,' Arsich said. 'But I think we're locked in as a team and we can make a deep run in the playoffs.' Panos had a blast watching Arsich run around the bases. And he certainly appreciated the support. 'It was great,' Panos said. 'It's insane. I've never seen anything like that. When you're pitching and your hitters help you out, it's the best feeling. It relieved a lot of the pressure off me.' Arsich is hitting .358 with 33 runs, 12 stolen bases and 10 RBIs. He's also played a big role as a pitcher, compiling three saves and a 2.04 ERA in 24 innings. Lincoln-Way Central coach Ryan Kutt knows he can count on Arsich. 'Liam's been awesome for us all year, both at the plate and on the mound,' Kutt said. 'He's a guy who we've leaned on in certain situations like (Wednesday) where we're looking for an at-bat to break it open. 'He did that for us. He gave us some breathing room. He's a senior trying to lead by example with his actions and with the way he carries himself on the field.' The Knights led 2-0, with Arsich scoring both runs, before pulling away with three runs in the fifth inning. Arsich's third triple highlighted the outburst. Arsich has been committed to Toledo since before the start of his junior season, fulfilling a goal to play Division I baseball that he said he's had his whole life. 'The pressure's been off me,' Arsich said. 'I don't have to think about college. I can just go out there and play, have fun with my friends and try to make a big run with these guys my last time around.' Whatever the results are, Arsich is going to be sure to savor his final moments with the Knights. 'I've got some of my best friends out here and playing with them makes my life,' he said. 'We're a big family and I love this sport.'
Chicago Tribune
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Homewood-Flossmoor wears pink socks to honor Bryan Ahrendt's mom, Dena, who has breast cancer. ‘Our No. 1 fan.'
Homewood-Flossmoor's Bryan Ahrendt loves playing volleyball to get his mind off of real life. The senior libero's mother, Dena, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December. She has gone through three rounds of chemotherapy, with another six on the docket. 'Volleyball has definitely been a way to not focus on the negative,' Bryan said. 'Especially when I go home and I see her the way she is. It's not a cool thing. It's not a good thing. 'It's definitely a good thing to focus on volleyball and have fun with the guys.' The Vikings, who honored Dena by wearing pink socks Tuesday night, went out and beat T.F. United 25-19, 25-15 in the Rich Township Regional semifinals in Richton Park. 'She's at almost every game and is our No. 1 fan,' H-F coach Mark Ciesielski said. Ahrendt, a Carthage recruit, totaled six digs Tuesday to lead H-F (28-8), while Ahmad Powell had eight kills and Surendran Heyward added seven. Caleb Madden and Will Adams each had four. The Vikings, who take on Lincoln-Way Central (24-13) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the championship match, are seeking their third regional title since 1994. Lincoln-Way Central (24-13) topped Marian Catholic 25-22, 25-15. Logan Baechtold, Dylan Brannigan and Joey Vellenga put down six kills apiece. David Barlow came through with eight kills and Carter Knueppel added seven for Marian (9-22). After Tuesday's win, H-F brought in Dena for a celebratory team photo. 'I'm glad that we were able to come out here and support her and make sure she knows she is appreciated by the Viking program,' Powell said. Few around the team knew about the situation until this week. 'I didn't want to make it public,' Bryan said. 'It was something we wanted to handle ourselves and not tell everybody.' But Bryan said his aunt proposed that the Vikings should do something for Dena, and they came up with the idea of wearing pink socks. 'It made a big impact,' Bryan said. 'She was bawling on the way here. She really appreciated it. 'She's an emotional person, but this really touched her because she just cut off all of her hair because of chemo.' While he's on the court, Bryan has proven to be valuable to the Vikings. 'Bryan is our quarterback and the leader on the court,' Ciesielski said. 'After every game, he's hoarse. He's screaming and he's letting everybody know where everyone should be. 'He's the glue that keeps us together on the court.' The Vikings, who beat Lincoln-Way Central 25-22, 25-16 on May 8 at home in the SouthWest Suburban Conference, opened the regular season with a 13-match winning streak. Since May 13, they're on a five-match streak. Powell, who is going to Ohio State for academics, missed a month of the season. Now that he's back, H-F is rolling again. He was all-state last season but decided to concentrate on an engineering degree. 'It wasn't tough to decide to quit volleyball because I knew that I want to get a good education,' Powell said. 'Ohio State has everything that I need. 'I won't have volleyball, but that's cool. I can always go to the games or join club volleyball.' Powell, however, said he will miss playing alongside Ahrendt. 'Bryan is one of the most passionate people I know, on and off the court,' Powell said. 'He always has a smile for his teammates. He always gets on us when we're doing bad. 'Sometimes, he's the bad cop and I'm the good cop, and together we make a good team.' As that team, Ciesielaski confirmed he was glad Dena could be honored before the season was over. 'It's a neat thing,' he said. 'We just want her to know that we support her and she's a part of our family and she's not fighting alone.'
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
As MLB scouts watch, Kentucky-bound Conor Essenburg knows role for Lincoln-Way West. ‘I'm in love with hitting.'
Lincoln-Way West's Conor Essenburg is doing his best to block out the outside noise, but he knows a big choice is not far off. The senior outfielder/pitcher, who is committed to Kentucky, has several MLB scouts watching him at every game and figures to hear his name called in July's draft. Then he'll have to decide between college and turning pro. 'I've done a good job with ignoring it, but recently, it's been getting a little bit harder,' Essenburg said. 'We're getting close to the draft, obviously, and there are a lot of things I have to think about. 'It's hard stuff to figure out as an 18-year-old. I'm definitely going to take it slow because this decision is going to change my life no matter which way I go.' For now, Essenburg's focus is on continuing to dominate at the high school level. He delivered with a key two-run double Wednesday to help himself earn the win on the mound as the host Warriors edged crosstown rival Lincoln-Way Central for a 4-3 SouthWest Suburban Conference win in New Lenox. Essenburg struck out nine in five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. He went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a run to lead Lincoln-Way West (21-7, 10-5). Quentin Lange was 2-for-2 with a run, while Roosevelt recruit Ian Hazelip and Jackson Mansker each added an RBI single. Rock Valley commit Tyler Bartley pitched the final two innings, striking out three, and allowed just one unearned run to record the save. 'This is the reason why I play baseball,' Bartley said. 'Being on the mound in a one-run game in the last inning, these are the situations that I find so fun. Baseball is a fun game, but in those situations, it's even more fun. I just love it.' Conor McCabe came up with an RBI single for Lincoln-Way Central (15-9, 10-3). Cade Andrews went 2-for-3 with a run, while Toledo recruit Liam Arsich singled and scored a run. Arsich also threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and striking out three. Arsich took a shutout into the fifth inning and the Knights led 2-0 before the Warriors put up four runs. Essenburg tied the game with a two-run double before Hazelip and Mansker's RBI singles gave the Warriors the lead for good. Essenburg, who knew his pitching day was over, was motivated to make an impact another way. 'It definitely lit a fire in me,' Essenburg said. 'My competitive edge came out and I was getting sick of losing, so I wanted to do something to change the game around.' Lange, the ninth hitter in the batting order, singled ahead of Essenburg's at-bat and was confident something good was about to happen. 'The whole game plan is just to get on base by any means and get it back up to Conor and let him do the magic,' Lange said. 'It's awesome having him behind me. He drives us in all the time.' Essenburg is hitting .461 with 31 runs, eight homers and 42 RBIs. He's also 5-0 on the mound with an 0.95 ERA. Even more important than those dominant numbers, according to Lincoln-Way West coach Jake Zajc, is how he has become a better team player. 'This year, he's been a tremendous leader,' Zajc said of Essenburg. 'He leads by example, and he's trying to be a vocal leader. He celebrates with his team. He's doing everything he can to help others and I'm very proud of him in that aspect.' Essenburg plans to be a full-time outfielder after high school, so his pitching days are numbered. 'Pitching is fun still so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can,' he said. 'But I'm also excited to be able to put the ball down and put all my focus on swinging the bat every day. It's going to be fun. 'I'm in love with hitting.'
