They may be the same players, and they may be wearing the same uniforms.
This, however, is not the same Glenbard West baseball team from the start of the season.
The rejuvenated Hilltoppers claimed the Class 4A Willowbrook regional championship with Monday’s 3-2 upset victory over York in Villa Park.
In winning the program’s first regional title since 2005, the 14th-seeded Hilltoppers (18-18) finally reached the .500 mark after a 3-12 start. Glenbard West earned the crown by topping No. 3 St. Charles North and No. 6 York (23-13).
“We just turned it around,” said Glenbard West winning pitcher Tyler Curtis, who was masterful in 6⅓ innings. “Everything’s coming together and all the parts are working.”
Everything was working on Monday, starting with Curtis on the mound. After allowing a second-inning single he retired 15 straight batters until giving up a leadoff seventh-inning double to York’s Matt Williams.
Glenbard West took a 3-0 lead to the bottom of the seventh, but the Dukes rallied with a pair of one-out runs on RBI singles by Phil Ganser and Kyle Leone. Hilltoppers ace Ben Krusen, in relief of Curtis, retired the next two batters to end the game.
“I can’t say enough about my kids, just battling back in that seventh inning,” said York coach Dave Kalal. “They could have cashed it in and instead came out fighting in that last inning.”
York starter Joe Paparone also pitched well, keeping the game scoreless until the top of the fifth inning. A couple of hit batters and a fielder’s choice led to a two-out, 2-run double in the gap by the Hilltoppers’ Mark Terwilliger.
“It was a tough situation, a tough at-bat,” Terwilliger said. “I had to foul a couple off, but in the end I just got a pitch I could hit and I drove it. It felt good.”
Glenbard West added an insurance run in the seventh when Mike Laning tripled and scored on Mitch Monnochio’s sacrifice fly.
The Hilltoppers advance to Thursday’s St. Charles North sectional semifinals to face second-seeded St. Charles East. Glenbard West welcomes the chance at another upset win.
“I want it for these kids so bad,” said Hilltoppers coach Brian Wojtun. “We were 3-12, but you had kids diving for balls and working hard, and you respect that. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
