St. Charles North rolling in the River

Normally at this point of the baseball season there's two if not three teams battling for the Upstate Eight Conference River Division championship.

It's a little different this season. With St. Charles North and Batavia ready to start a 3-game series Tuesday, the 2015 River title is the North Stars' to lose.

At 20-4 overall and 14-3 in conference, the North Stars are in command. What's different this year?

"I think we have a lot of camaraderie," North Stars outfielder John Legare said. "This team melds very well."

Batavia enters the series having lost 2 of 3 last week to Geneva despite outscoring the Vikings 24-15. Twice the Bulldogs failed to hold seventh-inning leads.

The defending River champs, who also won going away last year, represent the last hurdle for the North Stars. At 11-7 in the River, even with a sweep the Bulldogs will be 1 loss back of the North Stars. St. Charles East enters the week at 11-6.

North Stars coach Todd Genke said contributions from players like Legare is what has made the team so successful.

"John is a big-time player," Genke said. "He's had some big hits for us this year. Everyone keeps asking 'he's only a junior?' He's really starting to come into his own.

"It's not always going to be Cory (Wright), it's not always going to be our middle of the order. It's contagious. Our kids are really buying into we have a chance to win every time and it's mostly because our pitching and our defense. It's been solid all season. If you can pitch it and catch it you have a real good chance to win."

In addition to the top of the staff Wright, Tyler Mettetal and Sam Hubbe, pitchers like Christian Sidoti have stepped up.

Sidoti's slider is giving opponents fits.

"It's a really good pitch, hard to hit," Genke said. "He's a great kid who is a competitor and he has really worked hard. He didn't have that last (slider) year. He really pushed himself and has exceeded his own expectations I think."

The North Stars hope they can ride their success in the regular season into what would be their second straight regional title and an elusive first sectional crown.

"We think we have a real good shot to do something in the postseason," Genke said.

Batavia, meanwhile, also can use three games against an opponent like St. Charles North to gear up for regionals.

"Going into the season we said if we can hit we'll be dangerous and the fielding has been the problem," Batavia coach Matt Holm said. "Which is funny because we actually have a good defense. We're just spinning our wheels a little bit."

Wrapped up: Because of the Northern Illinois Big XII East's 5 teams and each team having a bye week, the Knights have their bye week this week and already have finished conference play - in first place.

One reason has been the production they've received from catcher Joe Laudont, the No. 3 hitter in the middle of Brian Aversa's lineup.

"Joe is finally coming around," Aversa said. "Earlier in the season he was popping out a lot. Now he's putting a nice piece of bat on the ball and hitting line drives like we know he can. He's seeing it real well. The ball looks like a beach ball to him. He's our catalyst behind the plate. He makes the team go. Joe is a natural leader so when he gets going the whole team gets going."

Team effort: After Geneva coach Matt Hahn turned to Mitchell Merges, Mark Guerrieri, Jack McCloughan and Nick Porretto on the mound in a 10-8 win over Batavia Thursday, the Vikings now have won a game from all three of their Tri-Cities rivals this spring by going to a committee pitching approach.

That's not exactly the way Hahn likes to play it. He's adjusting to his roster.

"We don't have that top shelf, this guy can go out and dominate a win like a couple of their (Batavia) guys," Hahn said. "It might just be who is hot this week. It's nice to have several options. We have faith in several guys to do that."

The Vikings showed the ability to quickly shake off a loss, going from a 13-0 blowout defeat on their home field to winning the series Thursday.

"We didn't talk a lot about it," Hahn said of the loss. "It's time to move on, don't think about it. Our demeanor was a complete 180 (Thursday). You could just tell the way we warmed up was completely different than yesterday."

The Vikings also got one of their best hitters, junior Jack Wassel, back in the lineup after missing with the flu. With junior Vincent MacDonald's strong play at shortstop, Hahn put the versatile Wassel back in the lineup in left field.

"We were joking with Jack that he's Wally Pipp," said Hahn of the Yankees first baseman who missed a game because he was sick, was replaced by Lou Gehrig and never got his job back. "He had no idea who Wally Pipp was.

"I can put him at third base, second base, I can put him anywhere on the field. It's nice to have that kind of athlete to play with."

Relax: After driving in 6 runs Wednesday against Geneva, Batavia cleanup hitter Kyle Niemiec said the key to his success is all in the approach.

"In the beginning of the season obviously hitting up here last year I tried to do too much," Niemiec said. "And now coach always says after practice up the middle, away. That's the approach I've been taking the last few weeks and it's been helping out a lot.

"There's always pressure not only on me but everyone. Once you sit down, relax, great things are going to happen, especially with our pitching staff."