Undaunted Donner makes the final cut with Prospect
LOVES PARK — There was a surge of joy that went through Prospect senior Kurt Donner as Monday’s final pitch from Jack Landwehr crashed into his catcher’s mitt.
“I went crazy,” Donner said. “It was a feeling like I’ve never had before.”
That going to state and getting a trophy feeling for the first time for Prospect baseball after it beat Glenbrook North 8-2 to win the Rockford RiverHawks Class 4A supersectional.
That on top of the world feeling from suddenly being at the bottom of the pile of a bunch of teammates celebrating like crazy.
“It’s so exciting,” Donner said. “This is unreal.”
Especially when one considers the reality Donner faced as a Prospect freshman.
He was cut. Didn’t even make the “B” team. Wasn’t viewed as one of Prospect’s future prospects.
“It was the hardest thing I ever had experienced,” Donner said. “For a day or two after that … it hurt.”
Donner said he was told his fielding and attitude brought on the pain. He said he didn’t see himself as an attitude problem.
A lot of kids would have taken a bad attitude and distanced themselves from the program. Donner went out and worked and trained harder and got a chance to play on Prospect’s summer sophomore team.
He ended up making the sophomore team in the spring. He led the team in hitting and earned a late-season varsity promotion.
“One thing Kurt has done since that point is he’s matured as an individual like you wouldn’t believe,” said Prospect coach Ross Giusti. “That kid worked beyond hard to get to where he’s at.
“This is his first (full) year of catching and it’s a credit to Kurt. He’s been the center of this team all year and its foundation.”
Donner had dabbled behind the plate here and there was but played primarily first base and third base and some outfield. But during his junior year he started to work more on his catching in the offseason with local instructor Tom Barnard.
Catching really caught on with Donner last summer. In the offseason he got more experience by catching two of the area’s top pitchers in Fremd’s Sean Stutzman and St. Viator’s Robert Romano.
“Everything feels great back there,” Donner said. “I feel I found a spot where I belong.”
No one is happier than Landwehr, who added to Prospect’s single-season victory total Monday.
“Kurt is awesome,” Landwehr said. “I trust him so much and with all 13 of my wins he’s been there for me.
“If I get a little wild he’ll come out and talk to me. It’s awesome to have that kind of bond with your catcher.”
Donner has also proved to be a tough out by hitting above .300 for most of the year. He had an RBI single Monday and was 3-for-4 against Warren in Saturday’s sectional championship.
He’s even pitched in with 4 victories which included a clutch relief effort in a key regular-season win over Fremd.
“He dug in and got it done and look where he’s at today,” Giusti said. “It’s an amazing story.”
And it’s not over yet with two more games to go in a Prospect uniform this weekend. He will play for Black Hawk College, a two-year school in Moline.
Donner received Division III interest from Benedictine University but has higher aspirations.
“To be a Division I catcher would be a dream,” Donner said. “A junior college seems to be the smart way to go since I didn’t get any exposure as a junior.”
He’s getting plenty of it now.
“I don’t take it for granted,” Donner said. “I take every moment as it is.”
Moments such as Monday were the big gains for Donner after suffering the pain of one of the unkindest cuts of all an athlete can experience.
mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com