Latest news with #WestAurora
Chicago Tribune
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Nick Lambert answers call on mound as Waubonsie Valley rolls past West Aurora. Key factor? ‘Better every time out.'
Senior right-hander Nick Lambert was definitely ready to take the mound Saturday morning for Waubonsie Valley. He just wasn't sure that was going to happen before the playoffs began. After Owen Roberts pitched the Warriors to Thursday's win, however, the coaching staff was faced with a decision — start Lambert or go with Seth Gilliland? Lambert, indeed, got the call. And he had to focus in quickly. 'I found out a day or two ago, so I had to mentally prepare for that,' Lambert said. 'I had a little bit of nerves, but I knew all I had to do was throw strikes, pitch my game and it would be fine.' Fine would be an understatement. Lambert cruised through five innings for the host Warriors in a 15-0 win over West Aurora in the Class 4A Waubonsie Valley Regional championship game. Lambert (7-1) struck out four and scattered four hits without a walk for Waubonsie (21-12), which plays at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against the host Porters (24-13) in a Lockport Sectional semifinal. The Warriors scored 11 runs in the fourth inning to break Saturday's game open against West Aurora (27-8), sending 17 batters to the plate. It took pressure off Lambert and the Warriors. 'We've had three guys throwing the ball well all season,' Waubonsie coach Bryan Acevedo said. 'Going down to two games and two pitchers, we felt good. Nick has gotten better every time out. 'That was kind of the deciding factor. It was definitely a tough call. Seth has been really good.' Ryan Lucas produced two hits, including a double, scored twice and drove in three in the fourth for Waubonsie. Nick Cerilli added a two-run double. Roberts, Hiroshy Wong and Seth Nielson each had two hits, while Roberts and Nielson also drove in two runs apiece. Mason Atkins, Henry Hinkle, Eliseo Liscano and Chase Yusi had hits for West Aurora. Having three solid starting pitchers is a luxury in the regular season. In the playoffs, when two can carry the load to state, difficult choices need to be made. That was the case Saturday. But Lambert delivered exactly what Acevedo was hoping. 'He commands the zone,' Acevedo said. 'He throws three pitches for a strike. He's not going to walk you, so you're going to have to beat us when he's on the mound. That's what we saw.' Still, Lambert did find himself in a two-out jam in the bottom of the third inning. An error followed by a single from Liscano had the Blackhawks threatening in a scoreless game. Lambert got a strikeout to end the threat and then Waubonsie opened the floodgates. 'I think that's what carried our momentum,' Lambert said. 'Everybody had nerves, but once we got out of that inning, everybody was more relieved.' Josh Hung led off the fourth inning with a single and Shane Torres bunted him to second. 'We were playing for one and Nick was going to keep us in it,' Acevedo said. Waubonsie had other ideas, though, and the bottom of the order got it started. Lucas, Cerilli and Nielson combined for four RBIs to get the Warriors on the board and they kept going from there. 'The fourth inning there was like the inning from hell,' West Aurora coach John Reeves said. 'We couldn't get out of the inning. Honestly, I don't even know how to describe it.' The inning went so long that Lambert had to go down to the bullpen to stay loose. He was unfazed, retiring West Aurora's final six hitters in order to end the game. 'I just knew I had to go back out there and shut them down,' Lambert said. 'You can't give them any momentum.' And now, the momentum is with Waubonsie heading into the sectional. 'We like our chances,' Acevedo said. 'If we play clean defense and score a couple of runs for (Roberts), he's going to give us a chance to win a baseball game.'
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Known for his pitching, West Aurora's Zach Toma takes his hitting to whole nother level. ‘Just feeling confident.'
West Aurora's Zach Toma is best known for his pitching, and rightfully so. The junior left-hander has been one of the area's breakout stars this season. What casual observers may not realize is he has also become the Blackhawks' leading hitter this spring. So, bring on the spotlight in the batter's box. 'I really wanted to be the guy up in that situation,' Toma said. 'I felt like I was seeing the ball really well, and I kind of felt like he was going to throw me a curveball in that situation. 'I got it and didn't miss it.' Indeed, Toma's two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday was the difference in a 5-3 victory over Neuqua Valley in a Class 4A Waubonsie Valley Regional semifinal in Aurora. Toma also settled in on the mound after his big hit and finished off a complete-game win for the Blackhawks (27-7), who will play at 11 a.m. Saturday for the regional title against the semifinal winner between Naperville Central (19-11) and Waubonsie Valley (14-12). While Toma struck out six and allowed three runs, two earned, on three his and two walks, Braiden Williams came through with a pinch-hit, two-run single in the fourth to tie the game. Henry Hinkle and Eliseo Liscano added two hits apiece for West Aurora. Colton Maita doubled and scored for Neuqua (13-17-1). But the big double by Toma loomed large in the end. 'I expected it out of him,' West Aurora coach John Reeves said. 'He's been great with the bat in his hands. He can do it both ways, on the mound and at the plate.' That's true on both accounts. Offensively, Toma leads the team with 46 RBIs. As far as the pitching part of the equation goes, Toma improved his record to 7-2 with a 1.07 ERA. Reeves credited a program-wide mandate to increase time in the weight room as helping with that process. Mason Atkins and Toma, two football players, took it to heart the most. 'They spent a lot of time in the weight room, which I think shows,' Reeves said. 'Especially with guys like Mason and Zach.' Toma cited several factors for his offensive breakout, including switching travel teams and reworking his swing. The biggest factor, he agreed, came in the weight room. 'The strength part of it especially, we lift all the time,' Toma said. 'We lift in season. In past years, I haven't lifted in season. This year, that's been a huge difference-maker with my strength. 'Just feeling confident up there. Our coaches pushed the whole team into the weight room. And then Mason, he's always getting on me about lifting after practice, so it helps.' Toma's offense was needed after he got off to an uncharacteristically shaky start on the mound. Through 3 1/3 innings Wednesday, he trailed 3-1. He retired the final two batters of the fourth to get out of a jam, however. After his double, he retired Neuqua's final nine hitters in order. 'The beginning of the game, I wasn't getting that first-pitch strike down,' Toma said. 'Then toward the end, I really started to get that pitch down. 'Getting that first-pitch strike is huge, man. Then you have every pitch in your arsenal to throw.' Toma's heroics were set up by Williams' clutch hit, which helped the Blackhawks catch their collective breath. 'It felt really good to help the team out and win this game,' Williams said. 'That just raised our confidence and helped us.' It's always nerve-racking to be in a close game in a one-and-done scenario, but Toma was unfazed. He hopes that paves the way to the program's first regional title since 2006. 'It got me nervous a little bit, but to be honest, we had so much time left and I have a lot of confidence in our hitters,' Toma said. 'I knew we'd come through and scrap out some runs.'
Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
In picking Ball State, West Aurora's Mason Atkins weighs QB position and transfer portal. ‘Takes out recruiting.'
West Aurora quarterback Mason Atkins figured the time was right, along with the school and especially its coaching staff, so he made the call. Nearing the end of his junior year, Atkins announced May 9 he was committing to a scholarship offer he had received in mid-March from Ball State, a Mid-American Conference program. 'Definitely at that position, I had to make a decision soon with these offers going away, with other quarterbacks committing and with the offers that I had,' Atkins said. He held about a dozen offers from Football Bowl Subdivision or Football Championship Subdivision programs. But Atkins also felt the impact that the transfer portal has had on recruiting, particularly for incoming freshmen. 'A lot of coaches are just going to the portal straightaway, getting an older guy to come in instead of getting a high school guy,' Atkins said. 'It takes out recruiting for me. It's weird. It sucks for me now, but then when you're in college, it could be great for you depending on how it all plays out. 'It's a whole different world and a little weird. I'm just focused on having a good senior season, having a good college career and seeing where it takes me.' Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Cornell, North Dakota and Central Arkansas were among his offers, but this winter, Atkins said he really connected with the new staff at Ball State headed by coach Mike Uremovich, a Providence graduate, and offensive coordinator Craig Harmon. Both worked together when Uremovich, whose last stop was Butler, was head coach at St. Francis in Joliet. Harmon and Uremovich have worked together at both Northern Illinois and Temple. 'I really loved coach Harmon and coach U, and the relationship I built with those guys is really great,' Atkins said. 'They called me a ton. Coach Harmon came out to a baseball game and I've thrown in front of him multiple times. 'I think it really just came down to that connection I built with the coaching staff.' According to West Aurora coach Nate Eimer, Atkins is the first West Aurora quarterback to receive a Division I scholarship since 1983 graduate Jim Bennett went to Illinois. Will Tammaru, a 2020 grad, also played for Dayton, a nonscholarship FCS program. Eimer can find the recruiting process frustrating. 'I really exhaust it and make sure Mason has all the information he needs,' Eimer said. 'It's crazy to me how many program now will literally tell you, 'We're just not taking a (2026 at QB).' 'You talk about the FBS, there are 134 programs and FCS has 129. I looked it up, and there are 16,000 schools that play high school football in this country.' Eimer is stunned that top programs are turning away from high school prospects like Atkins, who started most of West Aurora's games as a sophomore and all of them last season, leading the Blackhawks (10-1) to the second round of the Class 8A playoffs. Last fall, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Atkins completed 72% (123 of 172) of his passes for 1,667 yards and 32 touchdowns with no interceptions. He ran for 214 yards and seven TDs to earn the Upstate Eight West's offensive player of the year. He also was academic all-state with a 4.7 GPA. National talent scout Tom Lemming calls Atkins 'one of the better quarterback prospects in the Midwest.' In baseball, Atkins plays center field and is hitting .406 for West Aurora (25-4). Both sports have kept Atkins busy, dotted with numerous throwing sessions in the Blackhawks' fieldhouse and at several camps, the latest coming May 1 at a college football evaluation day staged by coaches Sean Drendel (Naperville North) and Ryan Crissey (Glenbard South). 'It's the best thing for high school athletes for recruiting that I've been a part of,' Eimer said. 'Our guys were in front of 50-plus coaches. All my kids were able to interact with coaches and it's free.'
Chicago Tribune
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Quiet at first, Baylee Geni begins to speak up — and open up — for West Aurora on defense. ‘Hear me a lot more.'
The voice of West Aurora's Baylee Geni is cool and authoritative, with perfect pitch and volume. From her position, the senior outside defender also has an ideal perspective to see and feel every aspect of the game. 'I've definitely become more of a leader in using my voice,' Geni said afterward. 'My freshman year, I was so quiet and scared — I don't think I said a single word. 'Now, I'm the one who's talking and you hear me a lot more.' Geni made her presence felt Tuesday night against junior midfielder Ximena Magana to key the host Blackhawks to a 4-1 Upstate Eight West victory over Elgin in Aurora. Sophomore forward Giselle Perez scored three goals and junior midfielder McKenzie Pearch added a goal for West Aurora (11-2-1, 5-0). Sophomore midfielder Michelle Ayala scored Elgin (15-3-1, 2-3). However, the strong defensive play of Geni helped neutralize Magana, who entered the game with 19 goals and 10 assists. West Aurora's defense has recorded more shutouts with nine than goals allowed with eight. Geni, a Waubonsee recruit, has started every game and played almost every minute this season. 'It was fun to watch Magana play,' Geni said. 'She's a very talented player and it was fun to battle against her. I always think of myself as a very clean player. I just wait for their mistakes and honestly look to break them down. 'You want to stop the other team from scoring and give everyone up the field an opportunity. Any goals we have come from the defensive line on the field.' Defenders in soccer are tasked with preventing goals but also start the offensive attack. West Aurora coach Jorge Espana said Geni has made dramatic strides in that part of her game. 'One of the conversations we had last year was that we really struggled connecting the attack from the outside,' he said. 'Seeing her from last year to this year, Baylee has really improved her technical skills to read the game and know how to anticipate plays. 'She is a big part of our ability to connect with the outside midfielders.' Geni's ability to blend the physical and technical have marked her value to the team, according to James Madison-bound senior midfielder Olivia Del Toro. 'Baylee has that great mentality of not letting anything by her,' said Del Toro, who chipped in with an assist Tuesday. 'She understands the mentality of attacking players who are trying to get defenders off guard and score. 'She's a very fun and highly energized person. She's always positive, very encouraging and supportive.' After running cross country her first three years, Geni took a leap of faith and tried flag football in the fall. Her defensive instincts in her preferred sport carried over. 'I played safety, so the farthest back defender, which is a lot like my position here,' she said. 'I was able to use my hands, but it was the same style of play, just getting your body in there and intercepting the ball. 'I've got long legs and I'm very good at getting my body in between all of the other players.' Before the game, Geni and Del Toro were part of six players who celebrated senior night in a special ceremony. It gave her a moment to reflect upon her career with the Blackhawks. 'It felt a little bittersweet, honestly,' she said. 'A good win felt very nice, but I'm also sad that the season is coming to an end. The four years have gone by super fast. 'I've grown so much more comfortable with the other girls, knowing they'll welcome me and hear what I have to say and listen to me rather than attacking me for what I'm saying.'
Chicago Tribune
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
West Aurora's Gracie Del Toro, who comes from soccer family, carves out niche. Like her mom. ‘We have a connection.'
Soccer is big in her family, but for West Aurora sophomore Gracie Del Toro, it doesn't top the list. That doesn't make her an outlier, however. After trying both sports at a young age, Gracie simply became bullish on softball. 'I was a goalie,' Del Toro said. 'I liked making diving saves and was always rolling around, getting dirty. Then I tried softball and found out there was a lot of sliding and diving in the dirt, too.' That said, the 5-foot-2 Toro has settled in on the outfield grass for the Blackhawks. She plays left field in her second year on varsity and then center field for the Wasco Diamonds in travel. Del Toro and senior center fielder Keira Hayton provided speedy blanket coverage Saturday for host West Aurora but it wasn't enough in a 3-1 nonconference loss to Plainfield Central. Hayton ran down five fly balls and Del Toro three, but the Blackhawks (9-1) were checked on two hits — a single and a double by Hayton. Kaylynn Howe struck out nine for the Wildcats (8-9-1). Two walks, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly by sophomore first baseman Alyssa Falcone accounted for the only run by West Aurora (9-10). 'It definitely wasn't my day,' said Del Toro, held hitless in two at-bats with a sacrifice bunt. 'She wasn't coming with a lot of speed or a lot of spin. A high fastball was giving a lot of us trouble.' Gracie's dad, Ricky, and her uncle, Joel, got their kicks playing soccer at Marmion before going Division I in college. Ricky graduated in 2002, then played at IUPUI. Joel graduated in 2004, then played at Eastern Illinois. Olivia, Gracie's older sister, has followed in their father's footsteps. The James Madison-bound senior midfielder/forward is an outstanding soccer player for West Aurora (8-2-1). 'We have a connection with softball, too,' Gracie said. 'Our mom, Whitnie, is from Sacramento, California. She played softball at IUPUI — shortstop. That's where she met my dad.' Olivia, a team captain, missed the early part of the season but is still second in scoring for West Aurora with four goals and three assists in just three games. She led the Blackhawks last year with 15 goals and seven assists. Their dad, Ricky, teaches in the foreign languages department at West Aurora and also serves as an assistant coach for the Aurora University men's soccer team. He previously coached high school in Indianapolis and at Marmion. Like her mom, Gracie also hopes to play softball in college. West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett recently flipped Del Toro from batting second to third in the order, exchanging places with Hayton. 'She's fast and pretty quick,' Hayslett said of Del Toro. 'Gracie's getting stronger. She's small, but she packs a punch and she's stronger than people think. 'She's a captain of this team, and everybody thinks the world of her. She's one of our leaders.' Del Toro is hitting .380 with four doubles, a triple and 15 RBIs. She also has 10 stolen bases on 11 attempts. 'Individually, I'm doing better this season,' she said. 'Last year, I struggled some with the quicker pitching at the varsity level. This year, I've gotten used to it. 'As far as flipping me to third in the order, Keira does a lot more soft slapping and bunting for a hit. I'm more of a hard slapper, and it has helped my RBI total.' Del Toro also gave another sport a try this past fall, playing for West Aurora's inaugural girls flag football team, which won a regional title and advanced to the sectional final. 'I had several friends on the softball team who were going to try out,' she said. 'They convinced me to try it.' She was joined on the team by sophomore infielder Bella Marzullo and sophomore catcher Macie Spenny, who split time at quarterback for the surprising Blackhawks. 'I ended up playing wide receiver,' Del Toro said. 'It turned out to be a lot of fun, and I'll play again this fall. A lot of the drills involving footwork were similar to some things in softball. 'After our run last year, there seems to be even more interest. I've had a lot of people asking me about it, and I think in a few years, flag football is going to be pretty big.'
