Baseball notes: Crystal Lake South enjoys nice weather, three wins on South Carolina trip

When Crystal Lake South baseball coach Brian Bogda received approval from District 155 for a spring break trip, he knew exactly where the Gators were heading.

Wes Bogda, Brian’s son, had played at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with his Illinois Phenom 12U team last summer. Bogda was so impressed with the facilities, nine artificial turf fields designed like old major league parks, that it was his choice destination.

It was nice to enjoy the warm weather and just play.”

—  Brian Bogda, Crystal Lake South coach

South fundraised and arranged the trip, in which the Gators played three varsity and three reserve games last week. The varsity went 3-0, raising its record to 6-0 for the season.

“They run it so well, the umpires were great, we even had some ACC umps on their off days,” Bogda said. “It’s totally nice. They have it down and really well-organized.

It was nice to enjoy the warm weather and just play.”

Several area teams enjoyed their spring breaks heading far enough south for better weather for their games. Cary-Grove, Dundee-Crown and Jacobs played at downstate Marion’s RentOne Ballpark. Burlington Cenrtral and McHenry played at the Future Champions Sports Complex in downstate Jacksonville. And Prairie Ridge traveled to Memphis, Tennessee’s USA Stadium Complex.

Bogda said the players contributed their own money, some costs were covered by fundraising and the four-night, five-day trip was planned. Twenty-one players made the trip, which was why Bogda wanted three reserve games, so those players could play after traveling so far.

“The JV guys spend time with the varsity players,” Bogda said. “It was great to see Rhys Rankin, who plays the majority of his games on JV, come through with the game-winning hit in our last game. I was so proud of him to see him come through in a big moment.

“I’ve always felt like trips are a good way to prep the kids. You get a lot of games in. We do team-building stuff and theme dinner nights. (The Ripken Experience) just cycles teams through, college, junior college and high school. They just ask us how many games we wanted.”

Good report: Huntley junior pitcher Malachi Paplanus received the evaluation he was hoping for from his orthopedic surgeon, regarding his right (throwing) elbow.

Paplanus felt a pop in his elbow in the fourth inning of a game March 28 against Maine South. He immediately began working his fingers around as he felt tingling and called Red Raiders coach Andy Jakubowski out from the dugout, then handed him the ball.

Jakubowski said Paplanus was told it was a sprain and that he should be back pitching in a few weeks, which is great news for a team that could be a Class 4A state contender.

Paplanus, who is committed to NCAA Division I Wright State, was 6-1 with a 1.80 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 16 walks in 39 innings last season.

Trojans rolling along: Cary-Grove lost its season opener to Barrington 3-2 and has since reeled off eight consecutive wins. The Trojans are 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the Fox Valley Conference after Wednesday’s win over Dundee-Crown.

C-G’s pitching and defense have been tough, as it is allowing 3.2 runs per game and has given up more than three runs only once in the last seven games.

“The pitching has been decent so far,” Trojans coach Ryan Passaglia said. “We have some nice depth developing this year. We’ve supported them with some timely offense and defense has been solid.”

Starters Sam Cohen and Ethan Dorchies, a junior committed to llinois-Chicago, have been the top starters. Peter Conneen also has been strong out of the bullpen.

“Sam and Ethan (have been good) for sure, our third starter is to be determined,” Passaglia said. “Peter was so good out of the pen last year, I’d like to keep him in that role. We’ll see how it plays out. Matt Dillow is another pitcher we’re looking at.”

Mr. K back at it: Marengo’s Caden Vogt led the area with 122 strikeouts last season and is off toward leading the area again after striking out 18 Johnsburg batters in Monday’s 5-0 one-hitter.

However, Vogt is not likely to reach Marengo’s season school record of 169 by Stu Stock in 1979. Stock also holds the Indians’ career mark at 521.

As Marengo coach Nick Naranjo pointed out, with pitch-count rules (limiting pitchers to 105 per game), Vogt will not have a chance.

Still, he is going to be a nightmare for opponents with his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup and his control. The 18 strikeouts tied Vogt’s career-high from a game last season against Woodstock North.

With varsity veterans Vogt, Carter Heimsoth, Quinn Lechner and Andrew Johnson, who set the school season RBI record last season (41), the Indians (3-3, 1-0 Kishwaukee River Conference) have high hopes for this season.

“I think we can win conference and maybe go to a regional championship,” Vogt said.