St. Viator 'fun to be around' during fast start

A St. Viator teammate jokingly asked Alec Simpson if he was telling a reporter his life story after beating Conant last Friday.

But that type of humor and fun is part of one of the better early stories of the baseball season. Especially since Viator's story the last two seasons has been trying to overcome rough starts.

This year the Lions are 7-2 after a 7-game winning streak ended Monday with a 6-5 loss in 8 innings to Ridgewood.

"This year we're expecting to be good every single time out," Simpson said after going 6-plus innings to stop Conant 4-1. "The chemistry and mentality of this team is really great right now.

"If we can continue that … sometimes in past years we'd get down and felt like it was insurmountable."

The Lions started 2-10 overall last year before rebounding to finish 9-9 in the perennially tough East Suburban Catholic Conference.

In coach Mike Manno's first year, they opened 2-12 before recovering to reach the sectional semifinals.

Now they're hoping to give themselves something for other coaches to consider when its time for postseason seeding next month.

"With the kids it's obvious the energy is there," Manno said. "This group is fun to be around. They enjoy the game and understand the game.

"That plays a big part in why we've been successful so far."

So do other factors such as a defense that keeps a control-oriented pitching staff of Simpson, Eric Huber, Mike Bordes, Bryce Hensley and Eric Walantas from worrying every time the ball is hit.

"If we throw strikes, we feel our defense is going to make plays," Manno said.

"We're confident in everybody out there," said Simpson, who credited captains Nick Skala and Brett Kay for their leadership. "We all pick each other up."

And the Lions aren't waiting for things to happen even though they play in a park conducive to the longball. They're forcing the action at nearly every turn on the bases.

But their enthusiasm hardly seems forced.

"It's awesome, especially with the bench always up cheering," said Viator senior outfielder Shane Owens. "It's definitely a huge encouragement.

"It's a great group of friends and we all hang out together."

Some of the tough parts are on the horizon for the Lions. They are scheduled to open ESCC play with a Saturday double-header at Nazareth.

The Roadrunners were 25th in the Prep Baseball Report's preseason top 50. Carmel (No. 9), Joliet Catholic (No. 18), Benet (No. 24), Notre Dame (No. 36) also made it from the ESCC.

"It's good to have (momentum) going into conference," Owens said. "I think we have a chip on our shoulder … and people are finally saying St. Viator is a team to beat."

The Lions hope to keep it that way.

Not every spring: Weather this crazy not only doesn't happen every spring -- many coaches don't ever remember a start quite like this one.

And it has some Mid-Suburban League coaches wondering how the division races may finish as some teams have barely been outside a handful of times.

"I do think it will make a difference," said Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna. "This is the time you're starting to figure some things out. Certain guys surprise you and find their way in the lineup and other guys you thought were going to help you prove otherwise.

"Usually by conference you've got a pretty good feel for your team. We're still trying to figure out what we have and starting to get an idea right now."

Conant was outside for only the third time when it lost at St. Viator last Friday. A lot of time to experiment and give players time has been lost and won't be found easily once conference play starts.

"I believe so," Conant coach Jerry Song said when asked if the weather could lead to some crazy races. "It will take a little time to figure out where you should put guys in the order and where they should be on the field."

But Hersey coach Bob Huber isn't totally buying the potential weather wackiness.

"I don't think the weather has done anything to affect our play, good or bad," Huber said. "Our questions coming in, we haven't gotten answered yet, and it's not due to a lack of getting outside on the field."

Huber used Buffalo Grove last year as an example when it started slowly and finished up in Joliet for the Class AA Elite Eight in June.

"It didn't hurt them last year once they got rolling," Huber said. "It didn't seem to hurt them in May when you want to be playing well."

But just trying to play at all has been a patience-trying endeavor for coaches and players in a spring where the weather has showed few signs of getting better.

"It's been something," said Beyna, whose team hadn't practiced on its field as of the middle of last week. "Any time the field has been ready we had a game that day. It's been very challenging."

Pitching in: Schaumburg's offense started off as expected with 30 runs in its first 3 games.

The big question with the Saxons is the pitching. They hope they received at least one answer in the Schaumburg Flyers High School Baseball Classic semifinal with Jacobs.

Senior George Kalousek, who homered in the first 2 games, pitched 2 solid innings in relief for the victory. The right-hander allowed only 1 hit and 1 unearned run with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk.

"He was a different guy than what we've seen inside," said Schaumburg coach Paul Groot. "He threw hard, especially in the sixth inning. We're going to need somebody after Andy (senior left-hander Brandt)."

Senior Kyle Pusateri had a good opener against Glenbrook South but gave up 4 runs in the first inning against Jacobs. He did settle down a bit and gave up only 2 hits the next 2 innings.

"He didn't have his good stuff," Groot said. "He couldn't get his off-speed stuff over and you're going to get hit hard by good clubs with only one pitch."

But junior lefty Mike Mistrata doesn't expect the Saxons to be playing 15-10 and 13-8 games all spring.

"Once we get a few innings for the pitchers we'll be fine," Mistrata said. "It might be better than the hitting. With more innings we'll be better."

May-June madness: Schaumburg could be hosting two supersectionals at Alexian Field while its team is playing in one at Benedictine University in Lisle.

Alexian will hold a 3A and 4A supersectional June 2 in the first year of four-class baseball. But the Saxons are in the Larkin 4A sectional, which feeds into the Benedictine supersectional against the Niles West sectional winner.

This is also the end of a four-year run of sectionals at Alexian even though there are no scheduling conflicts. The Flyers are on the road during the week and have a Saturday night home game -- when sectional finals usually have late-morning starts.

Last year, the sectional semifinals had 3 p.m. starts with the Flyers at home for night games.

The other 4A sectional with MSL teams is at Lake Zurich, which feeds into the Alexian supersectional against the Rockford Guilford sectional winner.

But there could be issues with the supersectional game if there is bad weather. The following three days are Flyers' home games.

More magic? Ten of Leyden's 26 wins a year ago were by 1 run.

Last Saturday, the Eagles rallied to tie their West Suburban Gold opener with Hinsdale South in the bottom of the seventh and won it with a run in the eighth.

They completed the sweep by rallying from a 2-0 deficit and breaking a tie with a 4-run fifth.

"They were two great games," said Leyden coach Gary Wolf. "Rob (pitching coach Hamann) and I looked at each other like the magic continues."

Wolf was impressed with ace Josh Weaver in the opener as he went 6 innings and took a shot off his index finger en route to a no-decision before a few professional scouts.

"He really gutted it out," Wolf said. "He brought it pretty well."

Milestone chasing: Paul Groot's 523 victories in 23-plus seasons at Schaumburg puts him 16 behind Barrington's Kirby Smith for the most by a coach at an MSL school.

John Wendell, who is in his 23rd and final season at Buffalo Grove before retiring, has 389 victories.

Stats time again: Coaches should send their statistics by Tuesday evening each week via fax at (847) 427-1173 or e-mail at prepsports@dailyherald.com.

Weather watch: Prospect coach Ross Giusti after a 3-3 tie stopped in the eighth inning at Glenbard East:

"It was sunny to start the game, then the wind picks up. It starts raining, then it starts to sleet and it gets dark. We had every form of weather imaginable."