Burlington’s Hahn sets school wins record
The last time a Burlington Central pitcher set the school record for career wins, he was drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft.
“Right before Carlos Beltran,” a Rockets assistant coach noted.
Nick Hahn might not have the same fate as former BC star Brett Herbison, but his feat Saturday showed again that he’s big-time stuff, even if he doesn’t prove to have big-league stuff.
Hahn won his school-record 23rd varsity game and first this year, as Burlington Central knocked off host Grayslake Central 5-3 in a nonconference game between Class 3A teams that both enjoyed 30-win seasons a year ago.
“I’ve just been working really hard the past four years to be able to show my work,” Hahn said. “To be successful on the field, it’s great.”
Burlington Central (4-2) had 4 extra-base hits in spoiling the home opener for Grayslake Central (3-1), which won all three of its games in Orlando, Fla., over Spring Break.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to their pitcher,” Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen said. “He pounded the strike zone the whole game. He effectively pitched backward, starting guys off with curveballs, and on 3-2 (counts) he wasn’t afraid to throw the breaking ball. We have to have a better approach at the plate, but (Hahn) was fantastic.”
Hahn (1-1) went the distance, scattering 6 singles, while striking out eight and walking two. The right-hander went 11-2 as a sophomore and 11-1 last year, when he equaled Herbison’s school mark for career wins. Herbison, who also played shortstop, graduated in 1995 and was drafted 48th overall by the New York Mets. The Kansas City Royals took Beltran, who became a perennial all-star, with the 49th pick.
“He’s not going to go out and overpower anyone, but he throws four pitches for strikes,” Burlington Central coach Kyle Nelson said of Hahn. “He kept (Grayslake Central) off balance all day, and our defense backed him up.”
Grayslake Central erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring all of its runs in the third inning. Derek Idstein’s 2-run single got the Rams within one, and Jon Gurchak’s two-out RBI single tied it.
Burlington Central went back in front in the fifth when Sam Klein led off with a triple to deep left field and scored on an infield single by Tanner Scott (2-for-3, walk). Ray Hunnicutt (1-for-3, 2 stolen bases) gave the Rockets an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth.
Joey Lange got the scoring started with a two-out, 2-run double in a 3-run first. Brian Leist and Hahn (2-for-3, sacrifice fly) also doubled.
Hahn retired the last eight batters he faced after allowing a one-out single to Grayslake Central’s Austin Miller in the fifth.
“It was a rough day,” said the Butler-bound Miller, who shined defensively at shortstop and reached base in each of his 3 at-bats, going 1-for-1 with 2 stolen bases. “Their pitcher was in the zone a lot, and he was confusing our hitters. We couldn’t get a good offensive plan going against him.”
While Grayslake Central committed 4 errors, including one that led to 2 unearned runs off Rams starter Austin Leggett (5 IP, 2 ER) in the first and another that resulted in an unearned run in the sixth, the visitors played flawlessly behind Hahn.
“That’s something that let us down a little bit earlier in the season,” Nelson said of his team’s defense.
“Between our second and third games we made 13 errors. But today we played the kind of defense I think we’re capable of playing. If we play that kind of defense and get that kind of effort on the mound, we’ll be all right.”
“They definitely have my back,” Hahn said of his fielders. “I can trust them. I just have to pitch to contact and throw strikes.”
Miller took a Hahn breaking ball off his elbow and got kneed in the leg on a steal. Despite that, the senior dazzled in the field. His 5-assist/4-putout/no-error day included turning an unassisted double play in the seventh to keep his team within 2 runs and a baredhanded grab and throw to retire a runner at first.
“That’s why he’s going to Butler,” Whalen said.