Larkin's task: Shut down C-G, Nelsen
Most of the Larkin baseball players are sporting mohawks, a trend that grew more widespread with each postseason victory.
First-year Larkin coach Matt Esterino values his locks, so he exhibits a more modest tribute to his team's streak of three straight tournament wins - the playoff beard.
"They're doing mohawks and I'm not quite there yet," Esterino said. "We've got a couple of wins before I do that stupid stuff. Playoff beard first. I'll try to get away with that."
Esterino can dodge the razor for another weekend if Larkin (22-16) can slow the prodigious offense of Cary-Grove (29-8-1) in today's Class 4A sectional final at DeKalb High School at 11 a.m.
The winner will advance to play the winner the St. Charles North sectional final between Wheaton North (28-5) and Batavia (29-6) in the the Rockford supersectional at RiverHawks Stadium on Monday at 5 p.m.
The Trojans enter the their first sectional final since 2006 hitting .359 as a team, led by junior shortstop Chris Waylock (.446, 8 HR, 5 steals), junior leadoff hitter Eric Chandler (.434, 3 HR, 27 RBI), senior catcher Luke Mottashed (.419, 11 2B, 6 HR), senior pitcher Matt Nelsen (.375, 11 2B, 4 HR) and junior second baseman Mark Thomson (.388, 18 RBI).
Esterino wouldn't tip his hand as to which pitcher will be tasked with holding the Trojans in check, but the likeliest candidate is senior Justin Kalusa. In a 6-5 regional title-game victory over Dundee-Crown last Saturday, he gave up 1 earned run in 6 1/3 innings.
Kalusa (4-1) has an ERA of 2.95 in 38 innings with 40 strikeouts and 26 walks.
"I don't know who they're going to pitch, but they looked like they had a good offense and solid defense, so it will be two good teams playing (today)," 22nd-year Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said of the Royals. "They looked like they took good approaches as the plate, and their kid (ace Luc Geier) pitched well. We don't know much about them, but they looked good (Wednesday)."
Kalusa spearheads the Larkin offense. He doubled and homered in a 4-2 semifinal victory over Hononegah on Wednesday, raising his season average to .477 with 10 doubles, 6 home runs and 25 RBI. Key Larkin hitters include senior shortstop Jon Meidel (.402, 12 2B, 9 HR, 41 RBI), senior second baseman Joe Stace (.394, 4 2B, 21 RBI), junior outfielder Reid Ellis (.365, 7 2B, 27 runs), and Geier (.320, 7 2B, 22 RBI).
Larkin will attempt to accomplish something no varsity team has done in two seasons: beat Cary-Grove pitcher Matt Nelsen (10-0). The right-hander is 18-0 the last two years combined. His repertoire of fastball, curveball and changeup keeps hitters off-balance. He enters the sectional final with an ERA of 3.11 in 63 innings with 43 strikeouts and 25 walks.
Burlington Central vs. Oswego: The Burlington Central baseball team has already equaled the deepest postseason run in program history. The 2009 Rockets (25-6) will try to take it one step further when they face Oswego (10-23) for the Class 3A Rochelle sectional title today at 11 a.m.
The winner will advance to play the winner of today's Washington sectional title game between Washington (27-9) and LaSalle-Peru (31-3) in the Rock Island supersectional at Augustana College on Monday at 5 p.m.
Central is making its second appearance in a sectional title game. The Rockets lost a 2005 Class A sectional title game, 5-3, to Marian Central at Byron.
The Rockets will send ace Nick Hahn (11-0) to the hill in search of their 14th straight victory. The sophomore enters with an ERA of 1.77 in 59 1/3 innings, 34 strikeouts and 22 walks.
Central has clubbed 3 home runs in each of its three playoff wins. Red-hot freshman Tanner Scott has homered in three straight games. He broke the school record for single-season homers when he launched a solo shot in the third inning of a 6-1 victory over Freeport in Thursday's semifinal.
Central will face an Oswego team also seeking its first sectional title. The Rockets aren't taking the Panthers for granted despite their 7-23 record entering postseason play.
"I don't think their record tells the whole story," Central coach Kyle Nelson said. "Any team you play at this point in the year has at least a 3-game winning streak going. They played in a really, really tough conference (Southwest Prairie), so I don't think they're record reflects the kind of team they are. If we don't come out and play well, they'll take it to us just like any other team this time of year would."