March 18, 2024
Baseball | Kane County Chronicle


Baseball

State baseball notes: North aims to channel energy for third-place game

The St. Charles North baseball team's bench watches the final inning of a 10-4 loss to Mundelein in an IHSA Class 4A state semifinal at Joliet's Silver Cross Field. The North Stars will face Plainfield North for third place at 5 p.m. Saturday.

JOLIET – A quick, early glance at the Silver Cross Field scoreboard Friday night revealed a potentially pessimistic message about a participant in the second IHSA Class 4A state baseball semifinal.

St. Charles North, abbreviated St. Charles N, went scoreless in the bottom of the first inning, thus creating run-on scoreboard text that read "St. Charles N0."

It hardly was an a harbinger as North promptly erased a one-run deficit against Mundelein, scoring four times over its next three at-bats. Mundelein's own answer – a sixth-run fifth – proved insurmountable, though, as the North Stars ultimately lost, 10-4, in the program's first appearance in the state baseball tournament.

North (32-7) still can take third place when it faces Plainfield North (33-4) at 5 p.m. Saturday. A victory also would tie the program's single-season record for wins. Although the North Stars' veteran-laden core knows responding will be a challenge, they also know one key lies simply in looking at themselves.

That's seemed to work this postseason, whether the North Stars convene in the field, on the mound or in the dugout.

"There's always energy. There's always people chanting. There's always people getting people up who are down," senior right fielder John LeGare said. "Everybody believes, and that's the greatest part about this team."

Mundelein senior designated hitter Zack Zagula dealt the North Stars their final deficit by punctuating the team's fifth-inning outburst with a grand slam.

Zagula connected against North senior left-hander Jack Lambert, who was pitching on three days' rest after taking a no-decision in Monday's 4-3 supersectional victory against New Trier.

Mustangs coach Todd Parola pulled no punches after the game, admitting the right-handed hitting Zagula would not have been in the lineup had Mundelein opposed a right-hander.

Zagula, who entered the game with a .191 average and primarily had filled a pinch-hitting role in recent weeks, batted fourth. After grounding into a double play and striking out in his first two at-bats, he jumped on Lambert's first delivery with the bases loaded, sending it over the right field wall.

"It was the greatest feeling of my life," Zagula said. "I stepped in the box, was trying to stay calm, just took a deep breath and swung at the first fastball I got."

Mundelein out-hit North, 12-6, but Parola had praise for the North Stars' swings and collective offensive approach against Mustangs lefty Brendan Murphy, who yielded four runs – two earned – while walking two and striking out eight in a complete game.

"People haven't been able to put together at-bats like that against him all season," Parola said.

The other guys: Two-time defending 4A champion Providence rallied past Plainfield North to win the opening semifinal, 7-4. Plainfield North also is making the first state tournament appearance in program history.

Providence enters the state championship game on an eight-game winning streak that began with a 13-0 victory against Lemont on May 21. Lemont will play for the 3A state title Saturday morning.

New Frontier: North edged New Trier, 4-3, in Monday's Boomers Stadium Supersectional, winning in the home of the independent Schaumburg Boomers, who share the Frontier League with Silver Cross Field's tenants, the Joliet Slammers.

Genke pitched for the Schaumburg club, then nicknamed the Flyers, from 1999 to 2002.

"It was pretty cool to go to state and win (supersectionals), especially on the field that he played on," North Stars senior lefty Jack Lambert said.

Take your time: Following Friday's semifinal pattern, Saturday's 4A third-place game will begin at 5 p.m., two hours after it initially was scheduled, in order to avoid playing during the warmest part of the day. No new inning will begin after 6:30 p.m., however, in a bid to start the championship game as close to 7 p.m. as possible.

Saturday's forecast highs call for temperatures in the mid-90s, with the heat index also of concern. A similar measure is being taken with this weekend's softball state tournaments in East Peoria.

"These are some of the hottest expected temperatures that anyone can recall for our baseball and softball tournaments," IHSA official Craig Anderson said in a statement this week. "Our motto is 'Play Smart. Play Hard,' so I think it is common sense to take these precautions for the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, umpires and fans."

Friday's second semifinal started at 8:03 p.m. The IHSA has indicated the third-place games for 3A and 4A need not last the full seven innings if games are running behind schedule. There is precedent for shortening third-place games due to incoming storms in past seasons.