2023 Herald-News Baseball Player of the Year: Joliet Catholic’s TJ Schlageter

When the base path dirt settled on the senior-heavy Joliet Catholic Academy baseball team after winning the 2022 Class 2A State championship, the remaining Hilltoppers and head coach Jared Voss were left with question marks up and down a roster that had seven starters leave to graduation.

What wasn’t in question, however, was the No. 1 pitcher.

On a roster otherwise filled with turnover, left-handed ace TJ Schlageter had that spot locked down.

Posting a 7-0 record over 52 1/3 innings pitched with 69 strikeouts and a 1.47 earned-run average his senior season to finish with a 20-3 career record, Schlageter pitched the Hilltoppers to the Class 2A state title game. His teammates took it from there, giving JCA its fifth state championship and first back-to-back state titles, while also cementing Schlageter’s place as our 2023 Herald-News Baseball Player of the Year in a field filled with all-state candidates.

“It’s a blessing, it really is,” the Louisville-bound southpaw Schlageter said. “There are so many good schools in the area with so many players year in and year out, not just seniors, but juniors, sophomores, freshmen who are highly skilled and really well known and talented. To be Player of the Year in this area, I’m just super blessed and honored.

“It’s a testament to the coaches who have coached me ... my parents for making me the player I am, my teammates for making a bunch of plays when I’m out there and having my back throughout the whole year. It’s a testament to those people, and I’m just blessed and honored.

“The last two years, being healthy and being able to pitch, just glory to God.”

Quick to share credit for his success with those who have helped him become the player he is – while also being surrounded by talent at JCA – Schlageter feels this year’s run to the state title with so many new players stepping up was a different animal than 2022′s senior-led title journey.

“They were both really hard, in my opinion,” he said. “They were both really hard to get, especially this year with having to defend the title and eventually being able to repeat. It brought its own set of challenges, but I’m just glad we were able to do it.

“Coming off last year winning the whole thing, we had a target on our back. Every time that we played a team, they wanted to beat us, and I think that further exemplifies the tradition Coach Voss has set at JCA, having every team giving us their best.

“I think that just made [repeating] that much more meaningful.”

Having a proven Division-I arm at the top of the rotation was a pretty good place to start for a repeat.

“Anybody would love to have that big left-hander as your No. 1,” Voss said. “He’s been that for us the last couple years, so he’s pitched in a lot of big games, and the moment will never get too big for him. He throws hard, he’s got a great breaking ball, and as he’s gone through the program, he’s gotten more consistent throwing strikes, and [his high school career] kind of peaked his senior year.”

As for what made Schlageter so successful in Columbia Blue and Brown, Voss said it’s his competitiveness, God-given talent and self-dedicated work ethic.

“The first thing with TJ, I think it’s important to note he’s a three-sport athlete,” Voss said. “And I think that background of playing three sports helped him develop his competitiveness. He already was a competitive kid, but just that drive, and I can’t speak enough in my years of coaching how it’s just funny that some of the best teams we’ve had were teams where the kids played multiple sports, and TJ was the perfect example of that.

“And he’s a tremendous worker. Any postseason accolade, any scholarship, obviously he’s talented athletically, but he’s earned every single thing for himself, no doubt about it.”

Schlageter says it’s all about being willing to work.

“I think what’s made me successful, just plain and simple, is putting in the work off the field and on the field,” he said. “Late nights, whether I’m hitting in my backyard or just playing catch and working on my pitches, and also in the weight room too getting my body stronger and physically able to handle the stresses of pitching in these high-leverage games.”

As he gets ready to head to Louisville and face Atlantic Coast Conference lineups, Schlageter said improving his pickoff move and making the mental adjustment to the college game will be his main focuses.

The skill, talent and work ethic he showed on his way to two state championships at Joliet Catholic certainly won’t hurt.

“It’s going to be challenging,” he said, “but I’m ready for the challenge. That’s what I signed up for when I committed last July. I’m just ready to get after it. I’m expecting hardship, but I’m also expecting some success, too.

“It should be fun. I’m excited.”