Mundelein’s Mahar picks Valparaiso

Ben Mahar is no teddy bear.

But at 6 feet 3½ and 220 pounds, the Mundelein senior right-hander resembles a bear.

Mahar says Mustangs coach Todd Parola has even nicknamed him “Panda.”

“He always says, ‘Be a bulldog,’ but he calls me ‘Panda,’ ” Mahar said.

Why “Panda?”

“I’m bear-looking, but I’m not mean,” Mahar said. “Not mean enough.”

He’s mean enough — and good enough — for Valparaiso University, though. Mahar signed a national letter of intent in November to pitch at the Division I level for the Indiana school, and this week he began what he hopes is a bear-sized season for Mundelein.

Mahar tossed 2 innings of 1-run ball, striking out four, in a 14-2 win over Mather on Friday, when he hit 91 mph on the radar gun. He fired 3 scoreless frames in the Mustangs’ season-opening win over Grant on Monday.

Mahar visited Valpo last October and eventually chose the Crusaders over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Illinois-Chicago.

“I just liked the atmosphere there,” Mahar said. “(The environment) was real warm. Everybody was kind of together, and it just felt right when I walked on campus.”

Mahar will pitch for head coach Tracy Woodson, who owns a World Series ring from his playing days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Woodson, who has coached the Crusaders to a pair of third-place finishes in the Horizon League tournament since his arrival in August of 2006, also successfully recruited Warren senior pitcher Ryan Kennedy, whose brother Sean transferred to Valpo last year.

“They got a lot of good players,” Mahar said. “They got a guy (outfielder Kyle Gaedele, Rolling Meadows High School) who’s supposed to be drafted in the top three (rounds), and I think they had a pretty good freshman class coming in.”

Mahar threw some varsity innings as a sophomore and then enjoyed a breakout season for Mundelein last spring.

He throws mainly a two-seam fastball.

“That’s what the big blood blister is from,” he said, looking at a finger on his right hand.

His repertoire also includes a changeup and slider, and he’s been experimenting with a cutter.

It’s his two-seamer that he trusts most.

“Just bury it down in the zone,” Mahar said. “I hope they hit it and then hit it on the ground.”

He has a Greg Maddux-type approach on the mound — less is more. Efficiency with his pitches is his preferred way to retire hitters.

“I try to get them out first pitch, if I can,” Mahar said.

He calls veteran Derek Lowe of the Atlanta Braves his favorite pitcher. Lowe (6-6, 230) is also a bear-sized pitcher.

“I try to model myself after him,” Mahar said. “He doesn’t win every game, but he goes out there and throws strikes, and always takes (his team) deep in ballgames.”

Mahar finished his junior season with a 6-6 record with an ERA of 2.55. Along with his high school success, he has pitched for the Racine Hitters travel program. He was invited to the Area Code tryouts as well as the Silver and Black games this past summer. He was also a starter for Team Illinois last August and pitched against Team Minnesota, allowing 1 run in 3 innings.

“Ben is a big, strong, power arm,” Woodson said on Valparaiso’s website. “His physical maturity combined with his experience competing at a high level will give him a chance to compete for a starting job as a freshman. We have been lucky enough to have strong pitching for the last couple of years and with Ben joining the team, we look forward to that pitching success to continue the next few years as well.”