Competitive drive fuels Prospect’s Landwehr

It didn’t take long for Prospect baseball coaches to figure out Jack Landwehr belonged at a higher level at the start of his sophomore season.

Prospect head coach Ross Giusti was in no rush to promote Landwehr to a varsity roster populated with talented juniors and seniors. It was no reflection on Landwehr’s ability or maturity.

But it quickly became clear that taking on kids his own age wasn’t going to do much to satisfy Landwehr’s competitive desires. So then sophomore coach and current varsity assistant Trevor Stocking gave Giusti a scouting report.

“Stocking came up after the second week and said, ‘You have to move him up,’” Giusti said. “He said it’s embarassing that he’s even playing at this level.”

So Landwehr came up and promptly pitched 5 innings of 2-hit relief for his first varsity victory at Grant. He also got 2 hits and quickly became entrenched in the lineup and pitching rotation.

“Coach Stocking was saying I had a great chance of being a varsity baseball player and I had to work at it,” Landwehr said of the summer before his sophomore year. “Before I got moved up I played my heart out and Stocking told Giusti to give this guy a chance. He could be a big help to you.”

Well, on Saturday at Joliet’s Silver Cross Field, Landwehr is going to help Prospect hoist one of the state’s big four baseball trophies for the first time.

And there are a lot of people who probably wish the Cook County Honorary Captain of 2011 Daily Herald All-Area Baseball Team would move up another level next year. Landwehr has clearly played at a level as high as anyone in Illinois this year.

On the mound he’s set the Prospect single-season victory record with 13. At the plate he’s pounded the opposition at a .453 clip with 43 RBI.

At third base he’s provided Gold Glove caliber defense. And he’s done it in a way that has caused no animosity or jealousy from his older teammates.

“Jack is just Jack — you can’t tell that kid no,” Prospect senior outfielder Peter Bonahoom said of Landwehr’s complete-game supersectional victory Monday on three day’s rest after a sectional semifinal complete game. “He could have thrown 150 pitches (Monday) and we’d still be confident in him on the mound. The kid is unbelievable.”

He’s the kid who wants to be on the mound, at the plate or have the ball hit to him in the big-game situations. It led junior teammate Eric Krohm last summer to give Landwehr the “Ballgame” nickname that has stuck.

“He’s a throwback,” Giusti said. “He reminds me of the ’70s and ’80s players who came to the ballpark with their glove and cleats and grabbed a bat out of the coaches bag.

“There is no glitter and no looking great on the field. The kid is dirty. I think he’s washed his uniform three times all year.”

OK, maybe that wouldn’t endear him to teammates and coaches, especially with the recent heat wave. But what he calls a combination hockey and basketball mentality leaves a positive impression.

“I’ve always been a competitor,” Landwehr said. “Ask any of my friends who played backyard football. I’ve always had that competitiveness in me. Sometimes I’m too competitive.”

But his aggressiveness and competitiveness shows up in all aspects of the game. He’s not going to give in to anyone.

At the plate he has 14 doubles and 3 homers and and in 117 at-bats he’s only struck out eight times.

On the mound, he’s 13-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 78⅓ innings. He’s only given up 11 walks.

And his defense at third was epitomized by a crucial double play he made late in the regional final against Fremd where he made a nice pickup on a grounder, tagged the runner and fired to first.

“That’s a prime example of his instincts,” Giusti said. “How many kids are going to make that play? Not many kids do.”

His sophomore promotion provided a glimpse of what was ahead as he went 5-0 with a 0.92 ERA and hit .361 with 19 RBI. He also received a lot of assistance from players such as Miles Osei and John Coen, last year’s all-area co-captain, that he’s put to good use this season.

“I love leading the team,” Landwehr said. “Pete’s also a good leader and Dazzo, too. They’ve helped out a lot and having them around is great.”

Landwehr said he’s already received college interest from Missouri Valley and Big Ten schools, although he can’t start talking to them until July. He’s also one of those guys who will probably have to have the uniform ripped off him before he stops playing.

“My goal is I’d like to play baseball as long as I can,” Landwehr said. “To have this opportunity is just amazing.”

The bad news for high school opponents is Landwehr has another full year of opportunities to succeed.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com