Coffey could get start against Cary Grove

Jordan Coffey has been ready throughout the last two weeks of playoff games to get on the mound, just a call from his coach away from coming out of the bullpen for late-inning help.

But the way Adam Karger and Brian Krolikowski have been pitching, now with four straight complete games, Coffey hasn't thrown a pitch in the postseason.

It looks like he'll get his chance to start Monday in the Class 4A Rockford supersectional against Cary Grove. Karger would be coming back on 3 days rest after throwing 120 pitches Thursday against Wheaton Warrenville South.

"We'll sit down and have a talk (today)," Batavia coach Matt Holm said. "Probably (Jordan). Adam could bounce back, he'll want the ball. We've talked a couple different scenarios."

Coffey has made 3 starts and 4 other appearances this year while working his way back from off-season shoulder surgery.

"I'm so excited," Coffey said. "I've been dying (to pitch). Krolo made one heck of an effort but I was ready to go in case we needed it. I've been ready every game and haven't been needed. It's been unbelievable."

Coffey said he has been cleared by his doctor and won't be under any pitch limit.

"It's all up to me," Coffey said. "'ll be in there as long as I can go."

"He's earned it," Holm said. "I feel comfortable if it's any one of them."

DuQue does it: Henry DuQue continued his outstanding first year with Batavia Saturday, clubbing a 2-run home run in the second inning and making a key defensive play at third base in the sixth.

"That was definitely a momentum taker," Krolikowski said of DuQue's home run that put the Bulldogs ahead early 2-1. "He's going to do that to you. He's been getting the job done."

DuQue, a foreign exchange student from Venezuela, has fit right in with a senior-dominated team.

"Our team has been so open to him coming on," Coffey said. "I know a lot of teams if they had a new kid they would keep him outside or whatever. We've just embraced him and he's been a huge part of our team and that home run shows what a big part he is."

So far in the playoffs DuQue went 3-for-3 with a double against West Aurora, added another RBI hit against Wheaton Warrenville South and launched the 2-run home run Saturday.

"Henry, he's just been hot," Batavia coach Matt Holm said. "What a great person to get hot at the bottom of the order."

No pain: The scariest moment in Saturday's sectional final came when Wheaton North reliever Trey Martin hit Joe Aguliar in the head with a pitch leading off the seventh inning.

Aguliar was sporting a nasty bruise on the side of his head afterward but said the 6-4 win made it a lot easier to deal with.

"I'm on top of the world right now," Aguliar said. "My head hurts a little bit, head hurts a lot actually. But right now the feeling of winning it is unbelievable. No pain."