Baseball: Signs suggest it's Mundelein's time

Maybe the signs were a sign.

That's what the players on the Mundelein baseball team are hoping for, anyway.

"Early in the season, we had a game at New Trier and we noticed on their fence that it said state runner-up up one year (1999) and state champions the next (2000)," Mundelein senior first baseman Brendan Murphy said. "Someone said, 'That's what we're going to do.'

"So we've been hyped. Last year we went downstate and we didn't get it done. We've got a lot of guys back from last year so we want to get the chance to get back down there and get it done this time."

Mundelein, which was the Class 4A state runner-up last year, is now just one step away from getting its chance to go from state runner-up to state champion.

The Mustangs exploded for a 5-run inning on Saturday morning en route to an 8-1 victory over North Suburban Conference rival Warren in the Class 4A sectional championship at Glenbrook South.

Mundelein, 33-6 after winning its third sectional title in the last four years, advances to a Schaumburg Boomers Stadium supersectional at 7:30 p.m. Monday. The Mustangs will face Crystal Lake South, a 6-2 winner over Huntley, in the McHenry sectional. A win in Schaumburg, and the Mustangs will be in the state semifinals with that opportunity they've been hoping for all season - to "finish the job."

"Last year is (a big motivation)," Mundelein starting pitcher Steve Sanchez said. "Last year we made a big run. This year is our year."

Sanchez certainly did his part to keep Mundelein in the running for redemption.

He kept Warren off the board and out of synch for 5⅓ innings. Sanchez had a no-hitter going through his first out in the sixth inning but had to be pulled due to the IHSA's pitch count rule. He reached 103 of his maximum 105 allowed pitches for the day.

"It's a rule, I guess. But if it wasn't for that, I would have stayed there no matter what. I could have (kept going)," Sanchez said. "My mindset helps me keep going. And (when Mundelein scored 5 runs in the fourth), that was a big boost. I was just looking for just 1 run. And they gave me 5 and that really helped. That was big."

Mundelein broke open a scoreless tie game with a fourth inning that just kept going and going. Murphy set the tone with a leadoff double. Sanchez followed with a single and then shortstop Ryan Patel drove in 2 runs with a single. A few batters later, third baseman Nick Stricker drove in another 2 runs with a double.

Stricker drove in 2 more runs with another double in a 3-run sixth inning for the Mustangs.

"Brendan's leadoff double really set the tone (in the fourth inning)," Stricker said. "Everyone just kind of fed off that. We usually don't just put up single runs. We usually have big innings. When someone does good, we feed off that and the momentum keeps rolling. It just really gets us all hyped up."

Meanwhile, Warren starting pitcher Evan Hill was just trying to regain his bearings and get back on track. He had gotten a win over Mundelein earlier in the season.

"They got ahold of a few. I left probably two pitches over the plate and the rest they scratched across a few runs. Props to them," Hill said. "I think they knew I like to work outside. They were all over the outside corner and just drove the balls the opposite way.

"I didn't really change anything. I just tried to keep pitching my game, throwing strikes. They just happened to hit them. But this was an unbelievable season, the best team I've played with in my whole life. Easily. It was a great season."

Warren finished the season with a 29-10 record, tying the school record for wins. The Blue Devils drove in their only run in the sixth off an infield single by Hill.

"We had a great record and we competed in every game," Warren coach Clint Smothers said. "I'm very proud of the season this year. But (Mundelein) is a great team and they made the adjustments. And when you get their three and four (hitters, Murphy and Sanchez) up, they can change the game pretty quickly.

"And you have to take your hat off to (Sanchez). When you have a pitcher come in and dominate like that, that's the difference in the game no doubt."

Warren finished with 2 hits. Mundelein rolled up 10, and didn't commit an error. Those are numbers that has Mundelein coach Todd Parola optimistic for an extended run.

"Our goal Day 1 was to be playing our best baseball at the end of the year and defensively we really tightened some things up," Parola said. "Offensively, hopefully this will go on a little bit. We struggled a little offensively (earlier in the season) and hopefully this is what we needed to jump-start us."

But for a day or so anyway, Parola will try to enjoy the moment.

"(Winning sectional titles) doesn't get old, I guess. You think it would get old, but it doesn't," Parola said. "It still gets the blood flowing and the adrenaline going. It's nice."