Baseball: McHenry soaks in 1st state experience after record-breaking season

JOLIET – McHenry’s first trip to state wasn’t what the Warriors wanted.

After getting shut out by Mundelein, 12-0, in the Class 4A state semifinals on Friday, McHenry’s outstanding season came to an end with a 14-4, five-inning loss to Brother Rice in the third-place game at Duly Health & Care Field.

A pair of lopsided results stung, but after receiving their state medals and fourth-place trophy, the Warriors tried to focus on the positives and being one of eight teams (four in 4A, four in 3A) to still be playing on the final weekend.

“Of course, it’s not what we wanted,” senior third baseman Cole Kersten said of the two losses. “We came down here and had a lot of high hopes. We had to keep our heads up because we’re here for a reason; we proved ourselves the whole way.

“In the end, we didn’t get what we wanted, but it’s still really cool to be here.”

Kersten was one of nine seniors to help lead the Warriors to what can only be described as the program’s best season ever.

The Warriors finished 30-10, topping the 26 victories they had in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018. They won regional titles both those years, but this year’s team did something no other McHenry team had done before.

Not even close to it.

McHenry claimed its first sectional championship in program history and did so with an exciting 4-3 win over Fox Valley Conference champion Huntley, a program that has won six straight regionals, two sectionals since 2016 and has gone to state twice, most recently taking runner-up in 2018.

Before this spring, McHenry had never played for a sectional title in the previous 14 years under head coach Brian Rockweiler, let alone win it. And that’s despite McHenry averaging better than 22 wins a season.

Not many expected the Warriors would be the team to represent the FVC in 4A, but McHenry had plenty of support from fans in orange and black the whole weekend, even with some light rain dampening the festivities.

“Playing in front of all your hometown fans, teachers, friends, it’s really something,” said senior Eddie Synek, who ripped a triple Saturday and made a sliding catch in the outfield. “Making history with the team and just having a bunch of fun.”

Next year’s McHenry team will look much different.

Seven of nine starters from this weekend put on their high school jerseys for the last time.

The Warriors, however, still will bring back one of their best pitchers in junior left-hander Lleyton Grubich, along with catcher Cooper Cohn, also a junior.

On Friday, senior Kyle Kaempf talked about what younger players such as Grubich and Cohn mean to the continued success and growth of the program.

The feeling goes both ways.

“I’ve been playing with these guys since we were 10, before we got to high school [on Pro Player Canes],” Cohn said. “We went to Atlanta and played in a big tournament down there. Each and every one of these guys has taught me something. If it’s keeping your cool, or keeping your hands inside the baseball to push it to the right side, or [senior outfielder] Ricky Powell saying, ‘Stop trying to hit a home run to left and hit one to center.’

“Those things are things I’ll carry throughout my career and the rest of high school. Man, these guys will be missed, I can tell you that.”