Baseball notes: Michael Sosna, Fenwick win CCL White title, surpass last year’s win total

Fenwick senior right-hander Michael Sosna is making his final season a memorable one.

Sosna announced his commitment to the University of Chicago in late March, then helped the Friars capture the Chicago Catholic League White Division title and already topped last season’s 17-win total. Fenwick (22-7, 11-2) starts the Class 4A playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Reavis Sectional. The Friars face No. 13 seed Young on May 22 in a Fenwick Regional semifinal.

Sosna, a right-hander, was one of the top returnees in the pitching staff from a unit that posted a 3.18 ERA last season.

Sosna (6-1) has pitched 34 innings over seven starts, striking out 36 and allowing just two earned runs while holding opponents’ batting average to .165. Sosna said he wanted to refine his game, causing him to work on the mental side of pitching.

“I mainly worked on my mindset while on the mound, as well as my control of the pitches,” Sosna said. “I feel that these points in my game needed improvement, so I hammered on them all offseason.”

Sosna said blending sports and academics requires a lot of work. Sosna said he works tirelessly in sports and studying. Sosna was one of 74 students from the Chicago area to be awarded the Evans Scholarship, a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

”Balancing academics and sports has been a constant juggle for me, but it’s a challenge I’ve embraced wit the unwavering support of my family,” Sosna said. “While academics have always been my top priority, sports holds a special place in my heart, driving me to push myself further. During the fall and spring, my routine was all about managing my time efficiently…But no matter the season, I make sure to prioritize my studies.”

The Friars have relied on 14 seniors, seven of whom start, to lead the team this spring, according to Fenwick coach Kyle Kmiecik.

“We’re senior-heavy this year, which is definitely one of our biggest strengths,” Kmiecik said. “Their experience has helped our younger players who are new to the varsity this year by teaching them through the example that they set each day at practice, as well as their work ethic on and off the field.”

Kmiecik said his team has relied on a collective effort to top the 20-win mark this season.

“Mike Sosna is our number one and he has done a great job this season,” Kmiecik said. “He battles and competes on every pitch. Mike has been very consistent regarding his quality starts this season. Josh Wicker is a four-year varsity shortstop. He’s very solid defensively and has been doing a great job offensively as well, just being one of our most productive and consistent hitters. He also leads our team in stolen bases.

“Ryan Lazewski has started almost every game for us at second base. Ryan’s a versatile infielder who can play any position and hits in the five-hole and consistently hit over .400 throughout the season.

“Senior Finnley Koch has been our starting catcher since his sophomore season. His leadership and self-discipline have helped create a positive culture…Freshman Josh Morgan waited for his opportunity to show what he could do. We knew right away Josh would be a key varsity player for us, not only because of his athletic ability but because of his mental toughness and emotional maturity.

Bad luck for Lyons

As the regular season winds down, Lyons received some bad news that will impact its playoff journey.

Senior pitcher Brady Chambers, the ace of the staff, suffered a season-ending injury earlier this week. The Michigan State recruit is a dominating right-hander, capable of lifting the Lyons to a marquee victory over any opponent in the state.

“Brady has been a tough pitcher for us all year, but unfortunately we lost him to an injury this past week in our Hinsdale Central series and he’s done for the year,” Lyons coach Kevin Diete said. “With this void, that means someone will have to step up in his place.”

The 6-foot-6, 210-pounder finished his season with a 2-1 record and 1.67 ERA in eight appearances. In 37 2/3 innings, Chambers, a standout in basketball, struck out 55 batters and walked just 10 and gave up nine earned runs.

The Lions (18-7, 12-3 West Suburban Silver) have played a tough schedule, losing two straight games to division leader Downers Grove North (23-5, 14-0) heading into Friday’s series finale. The Lions were awarded the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Reavis Sectional.

Diete said the Lions should benefit from their tough schedule in the playoffs. He noted the consistency of several players, notably senior Michael Mango and juniors Luke Nicholaus and Brack Hyde. Mango leads the team with a .368 average, while Hyde is batting .367.

“I think the tough conference and our challenging schedule has prepared us well for the tough road we will have through the playoffs,” Diete said. “Michael Mango has been the most consistent performer for us in the field and at the plate all year. He’s a tough player. Brack Hyde and Luke Nicholaus have both hit the ball very well the last couple of weeks.”

Around the horn

Nazareth (29-0) is one win shy of the 30-mark for the season. The Roadrunners, who have won back-to-back 3A state titles, earned the top seed in the Class 4A Reavis Sectional…Downers Grove North received the No.1 seed in the 4A Plainfield Sectional…In Class 3A, Montini is the top seed in the Sycamore sub-sectional… Montini, the No. 3 seed, opens up against seventh-seed Timothy Christian on May 23.