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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Uncommitted Daniel Coyle delivers three big hits as St. Laurence rolls past Lemont. ‘Never give up.'
A varsity starter since he was a freshman at St. Laurence, junior infielder Daniel Coyle has been one of the Catholic League's most productive hitters throughout his career. But while several of the conference's stars have scholarship offers from major colleges, Coyle's recruiting so far has been quiet. That's just motivation for Coyle, who still has a point to prove. 'I love playing with that pressure on my back to keep going and show everyone what I can do,' Coyle said. 'I love when people doubt me, honestly. People see me and they're like, 'Oh, look at that short kid.' 'I'll prove you wrong any day.' Consider Coyle's point made on Saturday. He came up with three big hits, including an RBI double, and scored two runs as the host Vikings rolled to an 11-1 win over Lemont in six innings in the Class 3A St. Laurence Sectional championship game. Danny Donovan had a two-run double for the top-seeded Vikings (34-5). Adrian Perez went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, Wisconsin-Stout recruit Connor Marino finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and South Suburban College commit Ben Geary was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run. It's the first sectional title since 2021 and seventh overall for St. Laurence, which will take on Simeon (20-12-1) at 5 p.m. Monday in the Crestwood Supersectional at Ozinga Field. John Strzechowski allowed four hits and six walks but just one run over 4 1/3 innings to earn the win as he consistently pitched out of jams. 'As soon as the coaches gave me this game, I was so fired up,' Strzechowski said. 'The guys were fired up. I knew I've got the guys behind me to win a sectional championship with.' Oakton recruit Zach Corse went 2-for-3, while Missouri-St. Louis commit Matt Devoy reached base three times and scored on a sacrifice fly by Zane Schneider for second-seeded Lemont (30-8-1), which fell short of making it back to state after last season's runner-up finish. That run last spring included a 9-0 win over St. Laurence in a sectional semifinal, and the Vikings were certainly hungry for revenge Saturday. 'This felt great,' Coyle said. 'That hurt last year. I really thought we had a great team last year, but this year, we have an even better one. We're tough, we're gritty and we're going to do whatever it takes to win.' Those adjectives certainly apply to Coyle. Just ask St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus. 'He's played with my son, Mickey, since they were really young and I've seen Dan be the best player on the field since he was a really young kid,' Lotus said. 'Over the years, other kids have gotten bigger or a little more physical than him, but he's still the same player. 'He's one of if not the best player on the field every single day. I think he does carry that chip because some other guys might get more college looks than him. But he's a baseball player and we'll take him anywhere on the field.' St. Laurence scored four runs in the second inning and four more in the fifth. Coyle's RBI double in the fifth came right after Lemont had cut the deficit to 4-1. 'He never gives up,' Donovan said of Coyle. 'He's always working. He's the biggest leader on our team, I'd say. He gets all the guys going no matter what, even if he's playing bad. 'Today, he had big hits. He can do it all.' Coyle is hitting .324 with 39 runs, 16 stolen bases, three homers and 41 RBIs. Batting third in St. Laurence's order, he's certainly smaller than most people who bat in that spot. But that hasn't stopped him yet. 'I believe there's no one better than me,' Coyle said. 'When I get to the plate, all I'm thinking is 'This pitcher can not beat me.' I believe I'm the best one out there. 'Not cocky, but confident.'
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Shea Glotzbach scores twice on dropped third strikes, earns save as Lemont gets past Oak Forest. ‘Found a way.'
Lemont's Shea Glotzbach might want to forget this game, but he will always remember it. The senior third baseman went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts at the plate Thursday. He also made two straight errors in the field and then gave up a run during the only inning that he pitched. And he still was the difference-maker. 'He's one of our best players on our team for a reason,' Lemont coach Brian Storako said of Glotzbach. 'He didn't have a great day at the plate. We all know that. We all saw that. 'But he found a way to make a difference. That's all we ask those kids to do. It they don't have their best day, they have to find a way to make a difference.' On two of those strikeouts, Glotzbach reached on dropped third strikes and scored both times as Lemont survived for a 7-6 win over Oak Forest in a Class 3A St. Laurence semifinal in Burbank. Glotzbach, a Missouri-St. Louis recruit, earned the save by pitching out of a jam in the seventh inning for Lemont (29-7-1), which plays at 11 a.m. Saturday for the sectional title against St. Laurence (33-5), which beat St. Rita 5-0 in the other semifinal on 12 strikeouts by Jimmy Benson and two hits, two runs and two RBIs from Cory Les. Jacob Parr added two hits and three RBIs for Lemont, while Brett Tucker doubled home a pair of runs in the first inning. Nick Reno picked up the pitching win, allowing two runs in five innings. Kevin Sullivan had three hits for Oak Forest (23-14-1). Vince Webber drove in two runs. Even with everything he went through, Glotzbach was happy about Thursday's win. Lemont finished second in the state last spring in Class 3A and was focused on taking another step. 'It's about doing anything to win,' Glotzbach said. 'It's all about winning. It's not about stat padding or anything like that. Me striking out and getting on base — that's all I can do. 'I can't go back and retry, so I have to take my opportunities and make the most out of them.' While Glotzbach was grinding out his unique game, teammate Matthew Devoy pitched an unconventional sixth inning. Devoy, who is also going to Missouri-St. Louis, entered with no outs and two runners on. He struck out the first two batters he faced, hit the next, walked two more and struck out the final batter. 'I executed against the first two hitters,' Devoy said. 'But there was one call that did not go my way and I didn't take it the right way. 'I started to aim my pitches. I short-armed the ball and walked a lot of guys, but I'm just happy that my teammates had my back.' Devoy was impressed with how Glotzbach was able to bounce back from all of the adversity and pin down the victory for Lemont. 'I really knew Shea was going to get it done,' Devoy said of Glotzbach. 'He didn't allow any of the mistakes he made in the entire game affect him on the mound. 'He's always been a stone-cold guy.' Glotzbach's confidence was tested in the fifth inning when he was charged with back-to-back errors. On the next play, he fired a high throw that the 6-foot-5 Parr brought down at first base before a collision with an Oak Forest runner. 'They were just messed up plays and reading the ball wrong,' Glotzbach said. 'I was trying to do too much and was thinking too much. 'I know myself and I know I've been there before, so I knew I could come back and do better.'
Chicago Tribune
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
On a North Carolina college tour, South Elgin's Adriana Jimenez finds next home. ‘Been a staple for three years.'
Go your own way. South Elgin senior Adriana Jimenez is doing just that in high school, despite having followed in the footsteps of older sister Sammy by competing in both softball and cheerleading. 'She's had a nice career and been a staple for three years now,' Storm coach Brad Reynard said of Adriana. 'I've been fortunate to have her play both third base and catcher for me. 'Sammy probably caught a bit more than Adriana, but both have the same skill sets — cannons for arms, hit for power.' Jimenez didn't flex that power Monday for host South Elgin in a 6-2 Upstate Eight Conference win over West Aurora, but she did execute a sacrifice bunt with two runners on to key a four-run first inning that was all the support senior pitcher Anna Kiel needed. Kiel and sophomore first baseman Jenna Sheehan produced RBI doubles and senior second baseman Amber Gnutek added a two-run single for the Storm (22-4, 14-0), who are staging a strong defense of last year's conference title. South Elgin owns a two-game lead over Riverside-Brookfield, Reynard's alma mater, with four left to play. 'We like where we're at,' Reynard said. Kiel (10-3), a Loyola recruit, is swinging a hot bat. She went 3-for-3 to lift her average to .571 and checked the Blackhawks (14-14, 11-5) on three hits with nine strikeouts. West Aurora (14-14, 11-5) was held scoreless until the seventh when Ohio State-bound senior shortstop Sara Tarr drew a two-out walk and came home on a triple by senior outfielder Keira Hayton, a Missouri-St. Louis commit. Hayton scored on a single by sophomore outfielder Gracie Del Toro. Jimenez, meanwhile, did much of the research and legwork before signing with Gaston, a Division I junior college in Dallas, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte. She's three years younger than Sammy, who's playing at NCAA Division II Tusculum in Greeneville, Tennessee. 'I was on a search of schools and was interested in Belmont Abbey,' Jimenz said of the NCAA Division II program, also in the Charlotte area. 'I went there for a camp and decided to tour a lot of the schools in the area. I found it, met the coach and loved it and thought it was for me.' Jimenez, who also plays shortstop as well as third base and catcher for her travel team, continued to send Gaston coach Michael Steuerwald video and eventually received an offer. Gaston's program is in its third season and recently qualified for its second NJCAA World Series by winning region and district titles. Jimenez, who is hitting .319 with seven doubles and two home runs, is second on team for South Elgin with 26 RBIs. She hit .383 last season and earned all-conference honors. She has been a member of Storm competitive cheerleading teams that won one state title and placed third twice. 'Hopefully, we can do the same,' Reynard said. Last season, the Storm lost 2-1 in nine innings to Lake Park in a regional final and to the same Lancers 6-3 in a sectional final the previous season. 'I have confidence we'll make it further in the playoffs than we have,' Adriana said. 'I feel like this team, we like to have fun. In the past, it's been a little bit more businesslike. 'This team, it's more like we trust each other and we want to have fun all the time. Maybe we put more pressure on ourselves. This dynamic is different than any other year.' Reynard is enjoying the ride. 'Having seven years of Jimenz helping our program out has been a blessing,' he said. 'I joke with her parents (Oscar and Renee) about it. Next year, what am I gonna do now at third base?'
Chicago Tribune
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Confident slapper Keira Hayton keeps using her speed while batting third for West Aurora. ‘It's gonna go well.'
Keira Hayton feels the need for speed, even if she happens to be slotted into a traditional power spot by batting third in West Aurora's lineup. The 5-foot-4 senior, who signed in February with Missouri-St. Louis, has a game based on speed as she patrols center field for coach Randy Hayslett. Hayslett has three speedsters at the top of his batting order, led by senior shortstop Sara Tarr and followed by strong slappers in sophomore left fielder Gracie Del Toro and Hayton. 'When it's working, it's gonna go well,' Hayton said. 'We have a lot of new people this year and a lot of younger girls. 'I think having Sara, Gracie and me at the top, when we all do our jobs, it will get us going good and give us a good start.' The jury is still out following Tuesday's 13-4 loss to Riverside-Brookfield in Aurora in an Upstate Eight Conference crossover, primarily because of the small sample size. On the plus side, the trio accounted for four of the six hits and three of the runs scored by the Blackhawks (0-2). Two starters had to leave mid-game for a National Honor Society induction and three missed last week's season-opening 9-6 loss to Waubonsie Valley for a school field trip. And pitching, of course, will be just as big in the team's development. Hayslett used three Tuesday — freshman Bella Celeste Doyle and sophomores Ally Lambert and Aminah Leverence. 'Even if one of us three hits a single, the next pitch we're gonna likely be on second,' Hayton said. 'We're all hustling, moving around the bases. That's a good top three right there. I enjoy it.' The trio combined for 39 steals last season — Tarr with 23, Hayton 11 and Del Toro five. On Tuesday, the Blackhawks went 7-for-7 on steals as Tarr and Del Toro recorded two apiece. Hayton, sophomore right fielder Anna Tarr and sophomore infielder Balla Marzullo each had one. Sara Tarr hit a two-run homer, her second of the season, and Marzullo added a two-run single. 'Coach wants me hitting leadoff to get the most at bats,' said Tarr, an Ohio State recruit in her fourth year as a varsity starter. 'I've been batting leadoff every year I've played here. He wanted Keira behind Gracie because Keira is not just a slapper. She can power hit. 'And if Gracie and I are on base, Keira can place the ball. It helps us more with runners on.' Del Toro has made the biggest move after batting ninth last season. 'I was always on the bottom of the order,' Del Toro said. 'It was me and then Sara at leadoff. I had a hint at the end of the year we'd do this and I'd move up. It makes the top of our order very strong. 'I think it's likely that one of us three, if not two or all three, will get on base. Once we do, I remember Keira saying, 'We'll go around the bases. We all have good speed and are able to steal.' Having Anna (Tarr) in right let's us cover a lot of ground, too.' Hayton, who hit .340 last season and earned third team all-state honors, should be able to improve upon her 16 RBIs. 'At first, when I saw I was hitting third, I was like, 'Whoa, boy, I'm no cleanup hitter,'' said Hayton, who has warmed up to the task. 'I make jokes about it, but it will depend on the game situation. 'I'm definitely still more of a slapper, though.' Hayton did a lot of the legwork, along with help from older sister Kaylee, in finding her spot with Missouri-St. Louis. Kaylee, a 2014 West Aurora alum who pitched for both North Central College and Aurora University, teaches young pitchers. She reached out this winter to the coaches after Missouri-St. Louis signed Huntley catcher/shortstop Madison Rozanski. Sophomore May Pasqualini, an Oswego East graduate whose dad Mark coaches Aurora Central Catholic, also plays for Missouri-St. Louis. 'I'm really excited and can't wait to get started,' Keira said.
Chicago Tribune
05-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego East alum Patrick Robinson makes prediction for Waubonsee. And it's coming true. ‘Have to go undefeated.'
Waubonsee Community College's Patrick Robinson wasn't trying to be Nostradamus. Or was he? The Oswego East graduate almost called the record-setting winning streak by the Chiefs. In the midst of a long knee injury rehabilitation, the 6-foot-4 forward left Missouri-St. Louis. Last spring, he was taking classes at Waubonsee and reacquainted himself with the school. Coach Lance Robinson, no relation, initially recruited Patrick Robinson, who was injured in practice late as a freshman and said he was limited to 'garbage time minutes' for a team loaded with veterans as Missouri-St. Louis reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II Tournament. And then he came back home and attended Waubonsee. 'I'd pass him every day going to class, say 'hi' and let him know we could use him,' Lance Robinson said. 'He ended up coming to all our second semester games.' Patrick Robinson witnessed Waubonsee's bittersweet finish with a tough loss in the region final, followed by news the Chiefs (28-5) didn't receive an at-large berth for the national tournament. 'Coach,' Patrick Robinson said he told Lance, 'we'll have to go undefeated then next year.' To date, the Chiefs have come pretty close to winning them all. Waubonsee dropped its season opener without Lance Robinson coaching because he had been ejected from that loss in the region final. The Chiefs, however, haven't lost since that game. The latest in a program-record 23-game winning streak came Tuesday night with a 96-82 victory over visiting Oakton at Sugar Grove. Patrick Robinson didn't play Tuesday, sidelined after rolling his ankle last Thursday in a 131-115 win over McHenry that set the program record for points in a game. He's expected to return at 7:15 p.m. Thursday for an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference game at Elgin. How have the Chiefs done it? It started with Lance Robinson receiving a bonus. Christian Meeks, Patrick Robinson's former teammate at Missouri-St. Louis, decided to join him and transfer to Waubonsee. 'It was like a package deal,' Lance said. 'I knew if I could get one to come, I might get the other.' Meeks, who redshirted his first year at Missouri-St. Louis, then saw limited minutes as a redshirt freshman and wasn't happy with his situation either. The 6-5 forward and Homewood-Flossmoor graduate has emerged as the Chiefs' scoring leader with a 15.2 average. Meeks and H-F had gone head-to-head with Patrick Robinson and Oswego East as seniors in high school at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic. It was the Wolves' lone regular-season loss in a record-setting run that ended with a double-overtime loss to Bolingbrook in a sectional final. 'That's my guy,' Patrick Robinson said of Meeks. Robinson added he would be delighted if they could go to another four-year program together. First things first, however. Both are strong inside-out players who combine with two returning guards from last season to give Lance Robinson a strong core. Shooting guard Zach Hayslett, who's from Memphis, averages 14.9 points. Point guard Aboubacar Sidibe, who's from Milwaukee, averages 12.3 points. Patrick Robinson follows at 10.9 points for the Chiefs, who have seven players averaging 8.4 points or more. Waubonsee shares the ball and shoots the 3-pointer with equal efficiency. The Chiefs are ranked fourth nationally in averaging 21.4 assists and second nationally with 244 made 3-pointers. Patrick Robinson is a prime example, and he and Meeks bring out the best in each other. 'Patrick is kind of like a big wing, so to speak,' Lance Robinson said. 'He can score inside-out. He's one of the best inside players in the area. He's also shooting 35% from three, and he's good at defensive positioning and some other things you wouldn't notice unless you coach. 'When I put them on opposing sides in practice, the defensive intensity definitely picks up. They push each other.'
