Baseball notes: Wheaton Academy, like last year, riding a long winning streak

Wheaton Academy senior shortstop Jacob York is enjoying Act No. 2.

Last season, the Warriors turned their season around with a 15-game winning streak.This spring, the Warriors (11-1) have won 11 games in a row since dropping a 10-7 decision to St. Francis in their season opener.

York said he’s noticed several similarities between the two double-digit runs.

“Right now, we’re pitching really well, and last year we had a really deep rotation,” York said. “This year we’ve got a lot of returning guys maintain their roles and newer guys step up into big spots for us. I think the difference this year is the fact that the culture is a lot stronger. Guys want to win, and because they want to win, they will perform. Everyone is all in this year. That makes our chemistry so much better. Guys are getting more excited for the success of their teammates over their own.”

York said the Warriors are playing as a team, combining timely hitting with solid defense and quality pitching.

“I think what makes this team special is entirely in the construction and makeup of the squad,” York said. “Guys know their roles better than I’ve seen in my four years here. Our team steps up when they need to and have each other’s back the whole game. Baseball specifically, I would say our defense sets us apart. Our pitchers are great, but our gloves help make them elite. Consistency in the field helps pitchers go into later innings, but our guys have the capability to make big-time plays.”

Wheaton Academy coach Justin Swider said the team’s spring break trip was a success. Swider said he sees several parallels between the two big winning streaks.

“We’ve been playing great defense, our pitching has really settled down and they are throwing a lot of strikes,” Swider said. “Some guys are also really stepping up. Both streaks are similar. The boys are excited to play baseball. We have a good group of seniors and great camaraderie. We had a great time in Florida. We played five games down there. The boys bonded well, had fun together which always makes things nice. It allowed them to play with confidence. The guys are making great plays. We’ve had some clutch hits, a walk-off to beat IMG (Academy), a key hit to beat Kaneland.”

Sophomore centerfielder Dom Murrell is off to a hot start, hitting close to .400 on the season. Sophomore Jackson From is batting .385 with an on-base percentage of .579, while Swider said York is “playing phenomenal defense right now and anchoring our defense.”

Senior pitcher Eric DeCosta, a Cincinnati recruit, pitched five shutout innings, striking out five and allowing one hit, in the impressive win over IMG Academy in late March. DeCosta fanned eight and scattered two hits in five innings of work in a 9-1 victory over Timothy Christian on Tuesday. DeCosta helped his own cause with a single and a double, while Murrell had three hits in the 12-hit attack.

“Eric has really found his grove on the mound,” Swider said.

Wheaton North update

Ten games into the season, Wheaton North climbed above the .500 mark with an impressive 2-1 victory over St. Charles North on Wednesday to close out the three-game DuKane Conference series. The North Stars crushed the Falcons 12-0 and 17-7 in the first two games.

The Falcons (5-4-1, 1-2) play at York on Friday.

“We’ve played a very good schedule and are trying to find some consistency,” Wheaton North coach Dan Schoessling said. “We’re averaging about six runs per game, while facing some very good arms thus far.”

Tidbits

Lemont junior pitcher Shea Glotzbach turned in his best effort of the season in Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over Mount Carmel in the first round game of the Do It For Stevie Tournament. He allowed just four hits and fanned nine for Lemont (5-4)…Nazareth has opened the season with 15 straight wins, defeating highly ranked Andrean High School (Indiana) 14-8 behind a 17-hit explosion on Wednesday.