Suburban Life baseball notebook: Riverside-Brookfield keeps on winning despite an unusual schedule

Twelve games into the season, Riverside-Brookfield has dealt with an unusual schedule.

The Bulldogs (8-4, 2-1 Upstate Eight) had a game canceled, then played two five-inning games against Elmwood Park last Tuesday and knocked off Oak Lawn 11-1 on Friday at Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg.

The Bulldogs had a rare Saturday off in April, spending the day doing their annual community cleanup to help give back to area residents.

Still, Riverside-Brookfield has managed to keep on winning.

“We’ve come out swinging, which is usually the last thing to come,” R-B coach Mark Ori said. “We lost to a couple of tough opponents in Nazareth and DePaul Prep and Plainfield Central. But I would say for the most part, we’ve been swinging it well and not really been overmatched. I’m happy with what we’re doing offensively. We’ve been limiting strikeouts, which was a big focus from last year to this year. We’ve been executing some small ball stuff.

“Our pitching has put us in a position to win, so throwing strikes and competing. We’ve got some depth in our pitching. Defensively, we’ve played sound and our chemistry from the offseason has showed this season.”

Senior shortstop/pitcher Sean Campbell is leading the way, batting .500 with 10 RBIs from the number two spot in the lineup. Senior outfielder Ethan Smith is setting the table at leadoff, batting .486 with 13 stolen bases and senior pitcher Michael Oppegard is 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA.

“Sean is having a good season and Ethan has gotten on base a lot,” Ori said. “Michael has had four quality starts and taken command of being a starter in our staff. He’s a quiet kid but has a lot of confidence.”

Smith had a big day against Oak Lawn, batting 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three stolen bases. Smith said he worked on a few things in the offseason to get his mental game in line with his physical game. Smith called the win over Oak Lawn a memorable moment for the program.

“At the start of the last year, I struggled in the box, but my coach started to make me think more about the mental part of the game rather than the physical,” Smith said. “I’ve always had the ability physically, but mentally I needed a switch. I learned a lot about my approach and going into the box with a plan.

“The plan consisted of seeing the ball deep and staying on the ball. I practiced that all last spring and it started to translate into the summer and now this spring season. Also, I’ve learned to let go and relax. I practiced my swing so much so I know I can do it. I just have to trust the movements, when it comes to the game.”

Oppegard, who pitched a complete-game two-hitter against Elgin last week, pointed to an improved mound presence for his solid start. Oppegard said the Bulldogs have all the ingredients to make a run in the playoffs.

“I’m being more accurate and keeping a cool head on the mound,” Oppegard said. “That’s led to less walks and I’ve been attacking hitters with better sequences. Our team has the potential to be great this year. We have a lot of talented seniors who are committed to colleges for baseball, as well as some talented juniors.”

Downers Grove North stays hot

Downers Grove North is one of the hottest teams in the area this spring.

The Trojans (11-1, 3-0 West Suburban Silver) open up a three-game conference series against Proviso West looking to gain some momentum heading into key showdowns against Downers Grove South on Saturday and a three-game set early next week versus Oak Park-River Forest.

The Trojans had to reconfigure their roster and approach this season following the graduation of infielder Jude Warwick, a Michigan State recruit who batted .391 with 50 hits and 26 RBIs and 22 stolen bases last season. Also, the Trojans had to replace Jimmy Janicki, who batted .410 with seven home runs and 42 RBIs, and ace pitcher Ben Llewellyn.

“The key to our solid start this season has been our hard-working group of selfless individuals,” Downers Grove North coach Kyle Briscoe said. “We knew coming into the season that we were going to have a different looking team with the loss of Janicki and Warwick, who have been at the top of the lineup for the last three years. We’ve emphasized the importance of ‘doing our job’, whether it’s a ground ball to the right side to move a runner over to third base or a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second.

“It’s not the three-run home run this year, as we have had in the past. It’s doing the little things right and applying pressure on the defense.”

The Trojans have picked up consistent production from several players, namely Brady Schallmoser, Emilo Gandarilla and Ross Oros. Schallmoser is hitting .500 with 17 hits, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases. Gandarilla is batting .455 with 15 RBIs and six stolen bases and Oros is at .412 with 14 hits and 11 stolen bases.

“Brady, Emilo and Ross have been huge for us,” Briscoe said. “Our starting pitchers have also been solid on the mound, providing us with a strong foundation throughout the season.”

Around the horn

Glenbard and Lyons start a three-game West Suburban Silver Conference series today at Lyons…Hinsdale Central looks to end its three-game losing streak in the conference against York today at 4:30 p.m. The Dukes (10-1, 2-0) enter today’s three-game series against the Red Devils with five straight wins.