Grayslake Central keeps an eye on progress

Looks aren't always deceiving.

Grayslake Central baseball coach Troy Whalen puts a lot into the way his team looks on the field.

"I call it the eye test," Whalen said. "How do you look on the field? Do you look like you know what you're doing, do you look like you're hustling, do you look like you belong?

"Some days we pass the eye test, others we don't."

Such is life in a topsy-turvy season that has resulted in a near .500 record to date. As of Wednesday, the Rams, who advanced to the state finals last year, were 10-8.

"We're trying to find some consistency right now," Whalen said. "We have been up and down."

Part of it is the nature of Grayslake Central's schedule, which is fitting of one of the top Class 3A programs in the state.

The Rams are getting their opponents' best shots. They've seen nine Division I pitchers start against them. Grayslake Central has won two of those games.

"The eye test offensively is did you look like you belonged at the plate against that tough pitching," Whalen said. "There were a lot of times we did, but we lost tough games against some really tough teams and some really tough pitchers. This area is stockpiled with some really good pitching."

The Rams have some really good pitching of their own.

But another factor in their inconsistent start is that not all of it has been readily available.

Justin Guryn, who won 10 games last year and would likely be the ace this season, hasn't gotten his first win yet because he's missed time early with an injury (broken cheekbone after getting hit in the face with a ball) and illness (bronchitis). Since returning recently, Guryn, who will wear a face mask for the rest of the season, has been on a strict pitch count.

He started at around 40 pitches in his first games back and is now at about 75 pitches.

"It's tough because Justin got a lot of wins for us last year and that's what we were expecting this year," Whalen said. "He's coming back but he's definitely behind.

"We're just glad he's been able to get back to work because we need him to be at his very best at the end of the season."

Senior moments:

Having been to the state finals three times in the last six years, Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen knows there are certain must-haves in a successful season.

Senior step-ups are big.

"You need to have your seniors step up and be special," Whalen said. "I think every year, you need a couple of seniors to come out of nowhere."

Whalen says the Rams have gotten a couple of those performances this season.

Devin Moran and Jeff Terronez are both seniors who didn't get much playing time last year as juniors. They played primarily in junior varsity games.

This season, both Moran and Terronez are hitting better than .300, and in Moran's case, better than .350. Both have earned spots in the starting lineup.

"Both Devin and Jeff have worked really hard," Whalen said. "We talk a lot about 'earning your innings,' and they have done that. You always need some seniors who are going to go out and do that."

Close calls:

Of Carmel's first 19 games this season, eight had been decided by 1 run, or on the last at-bat.

Over their four games against Joliet Catholic and St. Viator, Carmel (7-12) lost each game on walk-offs. But they recently bounced back with consecutive wins against Carmel.

"You know, we're young," Carmel coach Dann Giesey said. "We start 8 juniors and 1 sophomore and most of our juniors didn't come in with much experience.

"Our problem has been holding leads late. When you've got a lot of inexperienced guys, you can get in situations where you're not doing what you need to do to consistently finish off games."

On the mend:

Over Spring Break, a flu epidemic nearly wiped out the Carmel baseball team.

Of the 22 players who went on the team's spring break trip downstate, 10 came down with severe flu symptoms. Three players were forced to go to the emergency room with 103-degree fevers.

Four other players were struck with the flu when the Corsairs returned from their trip.

"The flu ran through pretty much our entire team," Carmel coach Dann Giesey said. "We were really down a lot of players, which forced some of our younger players to step up."

Injuries did that, too.

Connor Pett, Carmel's first baseman and No. 5 hitter, has been out since Spring Break with a back injury. He just returned last week.

Now that the Corsairs are fully healthy and players such as Pett are returning from injury, Giesey is hoping to finally pick up some momentum.

Mr. McHealthy:

One of the few players at Carmel not to fall victim to the nasty Spring Break flu bug was Garrett McClellan.

The senior pitcher has stayed healthy and has been a vision of consistently for the otherwise inconsistent Corsairs.

"He's been pitching lights out this season," Carmel coach Dann Giesey said of McClellan, who worked hard in the off-season to get into the best shape of his life. "He hasn't missed any of his starts. He's got a 0.97 ERA. He's also got 3 wins and is really our ace.

"Garrett was 5-0 last year with a 1.00 ERA. We expected him to emerge into that lead spot and he has. He doesn't get into very many jams."

Shining senior:

It's been a rough start for Grayslake North, which was 6-14 through Thursday with a lineup that features only one senior.

But that senior, George Deligiannis, has been trying to set a good example. From the leadoff spot, he's hitting .340, which is the second-best batting average on the team.

After Deligiannis and Merrick Gentile (.450), the next best batting average on the team is .286.

"He's been very consistent at the plate all year," Grayslake North coach Andy Strahan said of Deligiannis. "He has a very good approach at the plate and attacks when he needs to attack. As the lone senior in our lineup every day, he understands how important his role is for us."

New challenges:

Normally a third baseman, Merrick Gentile is playing shortstop this season for Grayslake North.

It's a position the Knights desperately needed filled, and Gentile was the best candidate.

"Merrick is probably going to be at third base in college and that's where he feels most comfortable," Grayslake North coach Andy Strahan said. "But we had that hole there and we knew Merrick would do a good job because he's such a good athlete."

Still, there have been a few growing pains for Gentile, who is Grayslake North's starting quarterback as well.

"There's an added aspect to shortstop where you've got to understand angles and holding runners. You've got to know about double plays and footwork around the bag," Strahan said. "Merrick has picked it up about as fast as any kid could

"But there are parts that have been a little frustrating for him. What I like is that here's a kid who is used to being the best at everything he does. He has such high expectations for himself. But he's been OK with struggling a little bit. He comes every day ready to learn something new so that he can help the team. It's really good to have that kind of kid on your team."