Prospect, Palatine battle for MSL title
A couple of years ago, the future looked bright as Palatine and Prospect had baseball teams finish just a shade below and above .500, respectively.
Each team had a sizable core of talented young players who were already making an impact. The plan was for it to all pay off down the road.
Two years later the promise has been fulfilled. It will be on display at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Mid-Suburban League’s title game when West co-champion Palatine (21-13) visits East champion Prospect (20-8) at Larry Pohlman Field.
“The senior group that has now been playing together since our sophomore year on varsity, we knew this could be a special group in a couple of years,” said Prospect second baseman and third-year varsity player Matt Molini. “We played well in the summer and everyone has contributed in some way or another. I don’t think we realized the talent we had until we started playing (this season).”
Expectations picked up for Palatine when it made the summer league state tournament.
“The storylines are very similar with our two programs,” said Palatine coach Paul Belo. “It should be an outstanding matchup. Every time we’ve matched up with them it’s been a tight game and it’s worked itself into a pretty nice little rivalry.”
Prospect won their MSL crossover 3-1 on May 2 as junior Jack Landwehr threw a 6-hitter with 11 strikeouts. Since then, Palatine has won 10 of 12 games — including a pair over Fremd to gain the tiebreaker for just the program’s third MSL division title and first since 2006.
“It took us a little time to get there,” Belo said of overcoming a 1-5 start. “The biggest thing to me was I felt our kids got a better idea of what it was like to play with a target on our back.
“When you have success in the summer it never guarantees success in the spring, but one of the things it does is put a target on your back. The start really humbled them a bit.”
Conversely, Prospect won two varsity games and two JV games on a season-opening trip to Florida to fuel the varsity’s 11-2 start.
“From then on we kept the momentum going even though we had our bad games like any team has,” said Prospect leadoff man and shortstop Luke Bergman. “We bonded great with practices and games, going to the beach and going out to eat.
“The coaches would tell our team it’s the first team they can’t tell who the juniors and seniors are. Me and Landwehr, we’ll fight to the death for one another and we’re always there for each other.”
They’ll be alongside each other with Landwehr at third as senior right-hander Ben Menich (6-1, 2.73 ERA, 54 strikeouts, 17 walks in 48⅔ innings) will get the start as Prospect goes for its fourth MSL title and first since 2003. Palatine, which won its only MSL title in 1990, will counter with senior righty Alex Miramontes (6-2, 3.06, 48 Ks, 16 BBs in 48 innings).
Bergman (.411, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 13 steals) and Molini (.402, 10 2B, 16 RBI) set up the Prospect offense for outfielder Peter Bonahoom (.413, 4 HR, 21 RBI), Landwehr (.449, 12 2B, 37 RBI) and first baseman Brian Bauer (.405, 8 2B, 22 RBI). Catcher Kurt Donner (.304), Steve Dazzo (.288), Shane Joyce (.324), Brad Gerdes (.318) and Kevin Miller have also had big hits.
Palatine’s offense is fueled by fourth-year starting shortstop Cody Bobbit (.368, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 14 steals) and junior third baseman Kurt Becker (.422, 6 HR, 32 RBI). Jim Smearman (.336, 5 HR, 23 RBI), Dan Haze (.331, 4 HR, 30 RBI), Joe Walsh (.321, 3 HR, 22 RBI), Jesse Bobbit (.349, 22 RBI), Scott Schneberger (.322, 33 RBI), catcher Mike Czarnik and Vince Portera (.266, 19 RBI) make it a lineup with no easy outs.
“Our kids are excited and looking forward to it,” said Prospect coach Ross Giusti. “We definitely know Palatine has been playing solid of late and we’re looking to rebound from a couple of losses.”