Michalski pitches Mundelein past Warren

A recent high school graduate received a gift Thursday.

Mundelein baseball coach Todd Parola placed a game ball in Cooper Michalski's large right hand when the Mustangs showed up at Stevenson to play Warren in a Class 4A sectional semifinal.

"We asked him if he had one," Parola said with a grin.

Michalski grabbed the baseball ... and ran with his opportunity.

The 6-foot-5 righty pitched a complete game, allowing just 1 earned run, as third-seeded Mundelein beat No. 7 Warren and ace Andrew Hill 6-3 in Lincolnshire.

"We didn't tell him (he was going to pitch) until we got over here," Parola said of Michalski. "We had hinted around (after Monday's regional-final win against Lake Forest) that some guys got to be ready to pitch."

Hey, you can't fool a kid who just got his high school diploma.

"I kind of knew I was going to pitch, and I was ready," Michalski said after striking out seven, walking three and allowing 5 hits.

Michalski received only spot pitching starts during the regular season. But with ace Brendan Murphy having pitched Monday, Parola needed another arm he could trust. Michalski was a part-time starter in the outfield during the regular season.

"Some of our other guys have struggled with command," said Parola, whose Mustangs (28-9) will play No. 8 Stevenson (26-11-1) in Saturday's 11 a.m. final.

After watching Stevenson's Jake Nusinow pitch well against Glenbrook South on Wednesday, Parola's mind was essentially made up.

"He just pounded the zone," Parola said of Nusinow. "He didn't have dominant stuff, but he did a great job, and we thought Cooper could do the same thing and give us a chance. Obviously he did a great job."

Michalski gave up a hustle double to Brad Zahn (2-for-4) to lead off the game, and Zahn scored on Hill's two-out single. But Mundelein, which beat Hill during the regular season, went right to work in the bottom of the first. Luke Peterson launched the first pitch he saw from Hill over the fence in left-center field, tying the score at 1-1.

"We prepared the last three days for Hill, knowing that he's one of the better pitchers in the area," Parola said.

The Mustangs' preparation showed.

After Sam Osisek lined out, Nick Brune (2-for-4) and Zach Zagula (2-for-4) hit back-to-back singles. The lefty-hitting Murphy (2-for-4) reached on an infield single, with a throwing error putting two more runners in scoring position. Reese Dolan and Michalski (2-for-3) followed with consecutive RBI singles, and then after a strikeout, Carter Naughton (1-for-2, 2 RBI) hit a run-scoring single to make it 5-1.

After 29 pitches, the Bradley-bound Hill was done, having retired just two batters.

"I wasn't a fan of the mound," Hill said. "It was higher than I thought, and then my low fastball was just down the middle more than I wanted. I needed to hit low corners more."

"We just figured we'd ride him and let him throw," Warren coach Clint Smothers said. "He's been consistent all year. Today he just didn't have it."

Michalski did. With his Mustangs up 5-1 after one, he was more confident than ever.

"I was probably more excited (than nervous about starting)," Michalski said. "Maybe I was a little nervous after the first half inning because I thought I needed to shut them out early in the game, but we had that big 5-spot."

Warren (25-13) got within 5-3 with a pair of runs in the fourth. But the Blue Devils left the bases loaded in the third and did so again in the fourth. In each inning, Michalski got a strikeout to end the Warren threat.

"The umpire had a little bigger zone, and they were moving up in the (batter's box)," Michalski said. "I was able to get it done with my fastball. Those big strikeouts were just (the result) of good command with my fastball."

Warren got strong pitching the rest of the game, as Sam LaMotte (1⅓ IP), Christian Caban (3⅔ IP) and Scott Gordan (⅓ IP) limited Mundelein to 4 hits and 1 unearned run.

"I can't say enough about Caban coming in and shutting them out for (nearly) four innings," Smothers said. "He did an unbelievable job. He kept us in the game. That's a heck of a job for him to come in and do that."