Kaneland-Marmion sectional final should be memorable
There’s not much baseball coaches like less than giving the opponent bulletin board material.
Walking leadoff hitters, booting ground balls, getting picked off base — OK, those cause gray hair a little faster.
But that’s not to say coaches enjoy seeing anything that can rile up an opponent.
Funny thing was, after Marmion beat Rochelle 2-1 on Thursday in the Class 3A Rochelle sectional semifinals, players on both teams provided quotes that could be viewed as bulletin board material for both the Cadets (21-8) and Kaneland (22-10) when they meet at 10 a.m. Saturday for the sectional championship.
Cadets catcher Kyle Kozak went first when asked about facing Kaneland ace Bobby Thorson.
“We’ll hit him,” Kozak said. “We’ll have a good BP (Friday). I read the Daily Herald every day. The Daily Herald loves him. I think he’s a little bit overrated. We’ll hit him.”
Aside from becoming my new favorite player, Kozak certainly provided some fighting words for Kaneland.
But lest Marmion coach Dave Rakow worry that Kozak’s comments could fire up the Knights, Rochelle starting pitcher Sean Hudson responded a few minutes later with a quote that should get Marmion’s juices going.
Hudson allowed 2 runs in 6 innings to Marmion Thursday, and he also lost to Kaneland during Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference play. When asked how the teams compare, Hudson wasted no time saying Kaneland was better, had a tougher lineup with more athletic, dangerous hitters.
So there you go coach Rakow. You can tell your guys the skeptics think they can’t swing the bats.
And Kaneland coach Brian Aversa? Just let Thorson know that Marmion uttered that slight that gets any sports team going, “o-ver-ra-ted.”
Of course, neither of those are true. Marmion just lit up Hampshire for 13 runs in 4 innings of its regional championship win. The Cadets can put runs on the board.
And Thorson has been brilliant all year, his latest big win coming 2-1 over Sycamore to give the Knights the first regional title in school history last Saturday. He’s just the guy any coach would want on the mound in a game like this, now 5-3 with 2 saves and a 0.50 ERA this year.
Even Marmion ace Tim Tarter said as much, taking the opposing view from Kozak and saying he thinks Thorson is underrated and complimenting the hard-throwing righty.
So while all those quotes are fun to read and add a little extra intrigue to Saturday’s final, the truth is there’s already plenty on the line. Whichever team wins will have the first sectional championship in school history and a date in Monday’s Class 3A supersectional at Augustana College — just one win away from state.
“We’ve been here before,” Tarter said of Marmion’s third sectional final in four years. “Saturday is the big one for us. If we win that I think we have a good shot of going to state.”
Marmion will counter Thorson with a right-hander of its own in Tyler Friel. While not as dominating as the 10-0 Tarter, Friel has had an excellent year with his latest quality start coming in the regional semifinals against Crystal Lake Central when he tossed 7 scoreless innings.
“If he pitches the way he can he has the potential to completely shut them down,” Kozak said. “He’s just got to throw strikes, get his off-speed over and he’ll be fine.”
Kaneland had almost its entire team and coach Aversa in Rochelle Thursday to get a first hand look at the Cadets.
“That was an exciting game,” Aversa said. “I think it’s always an advantage to have Bobby going. When he’s pitching he does a great job for us. He’s zoned in. He got a good look at their lineup today (Thursday). Scouting report is out the door, records out the door, we just have to come out and play the game.”
These teams have more in common than chasing a first sectional title. Their coaches go way back, growing up excelling at baseball in the 1990s at Geneva (Aversa) and Batavia (Rakow), respectively, within two years of each other. Rakow played on the same Legion team with Aversa’s younger brother, Chris.
“Dave was always a well respected player around the area as was the Batavia program under Matt Holm,” said Aversa, a 1997 Geneva grad. “I do know Geneva and Batavia had some real knock down, drag out games.”
Both teams have received lifts in the postseason from the bottom of their order. Marmion shortstop Andy Young, the No. 8 hitter, drove in 3 runs against Hampshire and followed with a 2-for-3 day with another RBI against Rochelle.
Jake Razo has been on fire in the 7-spot for Kaneland.
“The top of our order is pretty good and 7-8-9 do a heck of a job of getting on base and letting those other guys getting them in. Bob can’t hit a 3-run homer without anybody on base,” Aversa said of Thorson’s game-winning blast Wednesday.
The teams also are both scrappy who don’t let adversity get to them. Thorson’s 3-run home run highlighted a 6-run seventh inning in Kaneland’s sectional semifinal win over Marian, the latest in a season full of full of come-from-behind wins.
While Marmion played from ahead all game against Rochelle, Tarter said the Cadets also have what it takes to win tight games.
“We’ve come back in a lot of games this year,” said Tarter, who pitched out of a second and third jam in the seventh inning for the 2-1 win Thursday. “We’re pretty good at keeping our composure in tight games. We weren’t too rattled. A couple pitches I felt the ump was squeezing me. I didn’t let it get the best of me.”
And you can bet these teams won’t let words get to them. Clichés aren’t as much fun as hearing Kozak, Hudson and others speak honestly, but you can bet the adage about the team with better pitching, defense and timely hitting will be the one hoisting its first sectional plaque Saturday.
jlemon@dailyherald.com