Baseball: Big-time opportunities ahead for Mundelein's Murphy

As if the World Series championship wasn't enough.

Mundelein pitcher Brendan Murphy, a lifelong Cubs fan born to a Cubs fanatic (father Kevin), experienced another slice of Cubs heaven last week.

He got a private tour of the new facilities at Wrigley Field, including the Cubs' swanky, bling-filled, completely renovated locker room.

"It was so nice, so many cool things in there. I wish I could have taken pictures, but that wasn't allowed," Murphy said with a laugh. "But it's something I'll always remember. It was a dream to even step in there. Such a fun and surreal experience."

Such is life when you're a highly sought-after Major League prospect. There are some Major League perks.

It's entirely possible that by June 12, the day of the Major League Baseball draft, Murphy could go from Cubs fan to Cubs player. He is projected to go late in the second round to early in the third round.

"It would be so cool to play with the Cubs. But any team would be a dream," said Murphy, who had multiple scouts at just about all of his games this season, sometimes as many as 25 at a time. "Playing baseball in the Major Leagues has been a dream since I was a little kid. And it could be a reality soon. By next week, I could go from a high school student to having a full-time job playing baseball. I'm just taking it all in. It's just crazy."

Of course, what makes perfect sense is Murphy nabbing another nod as the captain of the Daily Herald's Lake County all-area baseball team. It is the second year in a row that Murphy has been selected for the honor.

Murphy rolled up a team-high 81 strikeouts over 52⅔ innings. He was 9-1 with a 1.99 ERA. At the plate, Murphy also made a significant impact with a team-high 54 hits in 109 at-bats. He had 13 doubles and drove in 38 runs with a .495 batting average.

"He's been dominant on the mound," Mundelein coach Todd Parola said of Murphy, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound hard-throwing lefthander who has been a daunting opponent since his sophomore year.

Murphy, who was wearing size 16 shoes as a 15-year-old, went 8-1 as a sophomore with a 0.54 ERA and 94 strikeouts to 17 walks. Murphy followed with a 10-2 record last season. In 63 innings pitched as a junior, Murphy had 102 strikeouts. He also led the Mustangs to the 2016 Class 4A state championship game.

This season, Mundelein won its second straight sectional title but got stopped in Monday's supersectional game against Crystal Lake South.

"I was hoping that we would still be playing," Murphy said. "The run that we made last year was amazing. I (wanted) to finish the job this year. We have 17 seniors on the team and we've played together since we were 5, 6, 7, 8 years old. It's a bond that can't be broken. And the memories we've made are things I will never forget.

"It's crazy that it (has come) to an end. I'm going to miss every aspect of high school baseball."

Murphy will move on in one of two directions. If his draft position is high on June 12, he'll sign on with a Major League team. If not, he will go to Arizona State, which got a commitment out of Murphy during his junior year.

The reason Murphy has two good options in front of him is that he put together some impressive performances last summer in two national evaluations.

He was invited to attend a weeklong tryout for the Team USA 18-and-under team at the Team USA Complex in Cary, N.C. He also got an invitation to the prestigious Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif.

Dozens and dozens of scouts were at both events.

"An entire section of the stands was just scouts," Murphy said. "It's kind of nerve-wracking at first, but you get used to it."

Getting used to the talent level at the Team USA tryout took some time, however. The hitters were unlike any that Murphy had ever seen.

"It was an eye-opening experience," Murphy said. "Every hitter I faced was such a great hitter. One simple mistake and they will all make you pay. That made me realize that those are the kind of hitters I will face from now on.

"I did well there, but I didn't do my best. I kind of got hit around a bit, which everybody does every now and then. But that experience showed me where I was at and what I needed to work on and improve on. I came home and really worked on my command and off-speed pitches."

The fastball is Murphy's go-to pitch. He's comfortably in the 89- to 92-mph range and can occasionally hit 94. But he says hitters at the next level aren't as easily foiled by a screaming fastball. So he spent the time between the Team USA tryouts and the Area Code Games last summer really perfecting his change-up and slider.

"Those two events last summer made me realize I can't rely on my fastball so much," Murphy said.

A brushed-up and re-focused Murphy went out to California and impressed even more at the Area Code Games. He came home to countless contacts from Major League scouts. Since then, he has entertained 20 scouts in his living room at home.

Murphy's next hosting duties could be at a nice local restaurant. He says that if he does sign a pro contract next week that his first order of business would be to take the people closest to him - family, friends, coaches and teammates - to dinner. On his dime.

"I wouldn't be who I am or where I am without the support of so many people," Murphy said. "All the hard work I've put in is definitely part of it and it's nice that it's starting to pay off.

"But these last couple years have made me realize that there have been so many people who have helped me get there. I'd want to celebrate with all of them."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

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