Baseball notes: Richmond-Burton’s Zach Smith posts big numbers after lengthy layoff

When Richmond-Burton senior Zach Smith approached Rockets baseball coach Mike Giese this winter about joining the team, Giese naturally was skeptical of what Smith could do.

Smith is a superb athlete, one who made an impact on offense and defense for R-B’s Class 4A playoff quarterfinal football team. But he had not played baseball since fifth grade, a lengthy layoff for any sport, especially one that requires the hand-eye coordination of hitting a ball moving at high speeds and changing directions as it does.

“My first thought was ... I don’t know Zach, that’s a long time to not play baseball,” Giese said. “I knew he was athletic and strong, but was not sure he could catch up as quick as he has with hitting and some of the fundamentals of the game.”

Smith, it turns out, has been a godsend.

Smith is hitting .500 with 19 RBIs, four doubles, three triples, two homers and 12 stolen bases. And the Rockets, who lost most of their Class 2A state runner-up team to graduation, rebounded from a rough start, have won seven Kishwaukee River Conference games in a row and seven of their last nine games.

R-B, which started the season 1-8, is now 10-10 overall and 9-5 in the KRC. Plus, Smith has been terrific in center field on defense.

“I wanted to end my senior year with a sport and thought I’d give baseball a try,” Smith said.

The thing is, once Smith committed, he was completely in. Giese said R-B principal Michael Baird told him he saw Smith watching hitting videos while walking the hallway.

In the winter, when it wasn’t too cold, Smith went to R-B and hit off of a tee in the tunnel by the field, recording swings on his phone so the coaches could offer tips later.

Smith started the season 0 for 10 with six strikeouts, but after spring break he started on a tear. He is hitting .625 since that point and has struck out only four more times in those 40 at-bats.

“I definitely give it up to my coaches and teammates for sure. If I ever need anything or have questions, the coaches are always there.”

—  Zach Smith, Richmond-Burton senior

“I definitely give it up to my coaches and teammates for sure,” Smith said. If I ever need anything or have questions, the coaches are always there. It’s my parents (Brenda and Hugh Smith O’Reilly), coaches and friends. We’ve always been a baseball family.”

Smith credits Giese and assistant coaches Don Stupienski, Ryne Blanton and Mike Kusek for helping him. He said Stupienski gave him a lot of assistance in the offseason.

“I have my own tee and I’d go to the cages,” Smith said. “I did learn a pretty decent amount on my own and I’ve always been a hard-working kid. I kind of developed and my friends and coaches were with me every step of the way.

“I started off the season not too hot. Up until spring break I didn’t have a hit. When I got back, I put some more tee work in and it felt comfortable. It was a confidence thing in the box. After I recorded that first hit, it all started unfolding my way.”

Giese lauds Smith for his work ethic.

“All he does is work,” Giese said. “He is an exceptionally hard worker. His biggest strength may be his desire to compete and win. His competitiveness is exactly what this team needed and he has led this team with his grit.

“It has been incredible to watch and experience.”

As for his defensive prowess, Smith said his football skills helped.

“I feel like it was a big help being a receiver in football,” Smith said. “Tracking the ball through the air has always been kind of natural to me. I can see it pretty well. I can get a pretty good feel for where it’s at. I’ve always had a pretty decent arm. It’s all coming back to when I used to play.”

Smith could not be happier with his decision to play a sport in his senior year.

“I don’t want to take it for granted, coming out for senior year and my last hurrah for a sport,” he said. Just the friends I’m with and memories we’re making, I just love it. Coming into practices and games each day, and having a positive attitude and mindset and wanting to win every day.

“Our bats are getting hotter and our pitching overall has been phenomenal. We’re on a hot streak and we’re going to try to keep it going.”

Gottfried out: Jacobs outfielder Nick Gottfried had a strong season derailed on Monday, April 17 when he suffered a cracked hamate bone in his right hand. He sustained a similar injury to his left hand to start last season, but was able to play the last half.

“It was my last swing in the cage,” said Gottfried, a switch hittter who will play at McHenry County College next year. “I felt a little pop in my hand. They took out the piece that broke off. I hope in maybe a month or a month and a half I can play.

“It definitely (stinks). It was so unexpected. I didn’t think anything was going to be broken.”

Gottfried will play with the Illinois Phenom collegiate team this summer to prepare for MCC. He was hitting .378 with one homer, eight RBIs and 19 runs scored in 15 games, with an OPS of 1.020.

“I was having a good year,” he said. “You can’t do much about it now. Maybe I can pinch run down the stretch.”

Pecoraro hits 500: Prairie Ridge coach Glen Pecoraro became the third area coach to reach 500 career victories with the Wolves’ 5-1 win against Dundee-Crown on Tuesday. Huntley baseball coach Andy Jakubowski and Cary-Grove softball coach Tammy Olson both picked up their 500th wins on April 25.

Pecoraro has coached all but three seasons in Prairie Ridge’s existence since it opened in the 1997-98 school year. His best two finishes in the state tournament were a fourth place in Class 4A in 2014 and a Class 3A runner-up in 2021.

Vogt strikes again: Another week, another school career hitting mark set by Marengo senior Caden Vogt.

First, he set the career doubles mark. Then, he broke the career home run mark. Last Thursday, he passed Aiden Smith’s 63 career RBIs in a win against Woodstock North. Vogt now has 67.

The homer and RBIs marks may not be safe though because junior teammate Andrew Johnson will have another season after this. Johnson set the season RBIs record last year with 41.

Looking ahead: Marengo (17-5) is the No. 2 seed in Subsectional A of the Class 2A Stillman Valley Sectional, with Wheaton Academy (21-4-1) taking the top seed.

Marengo will play with the other three local teams in that sectional (Johnsburg, Marian Central and Richmond-Burton) in the Johnsburg Regional, with Aurora Central Catholic as the fifth team.

The Classes 3A and 4A seeds will be released by the IHSA on Tuesday.

In the 3A Grayslake Central Sectional, the entire sectional is seeded. The host Rams (20-3), Cary-Grove (19-4), Crystal Lake South (15-5), Woodstock North (14-6), Lake Forest (14-8) and St. Viator (12-5) have the best records. C-G, South Antioch and Vernon Hills will host regionals.

In Subsectional A of the Class 3A Kaneland Sectional, Burlington Central (13-9) has been hot recently and should land a high seed. Rochelle and Boylan are regional hosts.

In Subsectional A of the Class 4A Dundee-Crown Sectional, Streamwood (18-4-1), McHenry (14-10) and Jacobs (11-12) have the best records. D-C and Larkin host regionals.

In Subsectional B of the D-C Sectional, Huntley (18-4) and Hononegah (17-5) have the best records, with Hononegah and Hampshire as hosts.