Uhle, Oakton aiming for national recognition

Shane Uhle didn't know too much about the Oakton College baseball program during his senior year at Prospect.

Uhle is hoping to help the Raiders become better known on a national level. They are on the verge of making that happen as they play in the NJCAA Division II Region IV championships starting Thursday at Kankakee Community College.

The winner of the four-team, double-elimination tourney goes to the NJCAA World Series in Enid, Okla.

"I feel really good about it," said Uhle, who is starting at catcher and hitting .422. "We're hitting really good and our pitching is really good now. I think we really have a good shot at going to the World Series."

Second-seeded Oakton (42-17) tied the school record for wins set by its 2006 final four team. It will try to avenge two of its losses when it plays No. 3 Madison Area Tech at 3 p.m. Thursday. Top-seed Kankakee, which finished third in the country last year, plays No. 4 Elgin Community College at noon.

Prospect grad and third baseman Tim Scanlan, who transferred from Bradley, rebounded from a slow start and is hitting .372 with 64 RBI. Oakton coach Bill Fratto said Scanlan is getting Division I interest that includes Cleveland State.

Freshman shortstop Ryan Tuntland (Maine West) is at .401 with 8 homers and Alex DeLaRosa (Loyola) is hitting .421.

Sophomore pitcher Chris Michals (Rolling Meadows) improved to 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA after allowing 3 hits in 7 innings as Oakton won the sectional title with a 3-1 win over McHenry. Kane Hernandez (Maine West), who pitched an inning of relief, is 5-0 with a 3.41 ERA.

"We all joke around and have a good time," said Uhle, who went 4-for-4 in the McHenry win. "In the fall, everyone pretty quickly became friends with everyone.

"Things have actually gone better than I hoped they would go. We were pretty good last year and I didn't think we'd be as good this year based on the players we've lost.

"This year it's all about team baseball."

Uhle, who had some interest from a couple of out-of-state junior colleges in his senior year at Prospect, is also glad to just be part of the team.

Uhle tore a ligament in his elbow when he was pitching early in the season. Although he said it was a clean tear that didn't require surgery, he didn't start throwing a baseball again until the fall.

"I was worried about it at first and I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to do in the beginning," Uhle said. "It's not where I'd like it to be, but it's pretty close to where I want it to be."

Uhle received a medical redshirt last season but hopes another solid year at Oakton will lead to a shot with a four-year program.

"He's outstanding behind the dish and he's really a late bloomer," Fratto said. "He has a bright future. He keeps getting better and better."

Oakton also lost twice to Elgin but split with Kankakee. Fratto hopes this weekend is when the team's motto "From Good to Great" turns into reality.

"We've never, ever jumped that hurdle to get to greatness," Fratto said. "This team has already accomplished something that's great (42 wins), but how far does that greatness go?

"I think we're capable. It's a fun group to be around. This team is pretty special because the chemistry is outstanding."