Westminster Christian celebrates state baseball championship

Elgin's Westminster Christian High School welcomed its state Class 1A baseball champion Warriors Sunday with a pep rally at the school.

Players, coaches, parents and school officials gathered in the sanctuary, a setting that fit the mood of a team with a spiritual attitude.

The numbers 4:13, a nod to the team motto, was found on the inside of the baseball caps of co-captains Joe McGannon and Brandon Weingartner. It refers to a passage in the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians that reads, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

As Cheryl Elder, mother of the Warriors' Kevin Elder, told the audience, her son pointed out that the clock read exactly 4:13 when play resumed after a rain delay during the game that sent the team to the state championship. The team beat Goreville 15-5 in Joliet on Saturday, making Westminster Christian the first Elgin high school team to win a baseball state championship.

"During the playoffs we really turned it over to God and we just gave our all on the field and we really came together during the playoffs," McGannon said. "This is best team chemistry of every team I have been on."

In addition to 4:13, the co-captains also wrote "first" inside their caps. Outfielder Dylan Scully said the team started talking about winning state since the first day of practice.

"Joe wrote it on the inside of his hat, and ever since then, we thought we could do it."

If the championship was celebrated as a triumph of faith, it was also seen as the validation of the vision of Coach Jeff Moeller, who openly wept when called upon to speak.

Athletic Director Rick Palmer said the baseball team's success will raise the bar for the rest of the school's athletes.

"This is the platform for the rest of the program."

Palmer told the boys, "This is something that you will carry with you the rest of your lives. Your parents will do the same. You will never ever forget this. You will talk about this in your college dorms. You will talk about this to your kids."

Both Moeller and school Principal Carolyn Palmer, Rick Palmer's wife, remembered the lean years. Palmer said it was only 11 years ago when the team set a record by losing 51-1 to Hampshire.

"I was at that game. My husband taught at Hampshire at the time. It was embarrassing to say the least. We set all kinds of records that you don't want to set," Carolyn Palmer said.

Moeller recalled his first year, nine years ago, when the team finished 1-17. For the first three years, "We only had nine kids on the roster. A kid would get hurt. A kid would get ineligible. I'm making phone calls to kids I don't even know."

All of that, however, came full circle as the team set some positive records to offset that. Ryan Perez tied state-tournament-game records with two homers and 7 RBI. Frank Oliver's 4-hit game tied a state-tournament record.

"We prayed. We worked hard. And it happened. And it's sweet," Carolyn Palmer said.